Cops declare war on unlawful bikers

Over the last week the Police Department has received some well-deserved praise, both for quick resolution of several armed robberies and a sensitive co-operative approach to cool off the gang violence which has ravaged Belize City. But a move announced today has some observers wondering exactly which substance the top brass has been smoking. In a “notice to the general public” issued this afternoon, the police warn those people who ride bicycles that, effective immediately, all current laws regarding bike safety will be rigorously enforced. Among those laws are those which declare that it is illegal to: ride contrary to traffic on a one way street, ride two or more on the same bicycle, ride bicycles without a proper braking system, ride a bicycle without proper control, i.e. hands off the handle bar or riding with small baby in arm and riding a bicycle which does not have a working bell or light affixed to said bicycle. While few people can argue with the need to bring safety and sanity to streets under attack from what often resembles a kamikaze corps of cyclists, previous attempts at sudden crackdowns–the ill-fated radar guns is one effort that comes to mind–does not inspire confidence. A quick look around the streets will reveal that not one out of a hundred bikes in Belize City is fully compliant with the laws. And unless police are prepared to assign every available officer to the monumental task of enforcement, the result will be just one more failed attempt to impose discipline on a society that seems to prefer anything but. So are there any realistic solutions? One approach to the bike problem may be to start gradually, perhaps beginning with a period for mandatory licensing, with fees that can pay for the cost of the exercise and maybe create some employment in the process.