Recognizing Hardworking Cops for Recent Guns & Ammo Recovery Mission
As many as forty firearms and a stockpile of ammunition have been removed from the streets of Belize. In our newscast on Tuesday night, the lead story was a massive burglary at Victor L. Bryant & Company – an arms dealer located here in the city. Twenty firearms and several boxes of ammunition were stolen during the break-in. But quick police work led to the recovery of those weapons and the detention of as many as nine persons. In the western part of the country, there has been an increase in the confiscation of handguns and other firearms. Police say that between officers in Belize City and Benque Viejo, they managed to remove twenty other firearms off the streets in the span of one week. And this morning the Minister of National Security and the top brass of the Belize Police Department held a recognition ceremony for the officers who were involved in recovering and confiscating these weapons. The police officers received certificates of recognition and a cash award. News Five’s Andrea Polanco was at today’s event and shares more in the following story.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Thirty-nine police officers from Benque Viejo and Belize City were recognized for acts of bravery and exceptional police work. These officers were instrumental in the removal of more than twenty weapons off the streets. According to the police department, twenty firearms were confiscated within one week. And quick police work led to the recovery of twenty more along with ammunition stolen from gun dealer Victor L Bryant. Commissioner Williams says that it was no easy feat for the officers to recover and confiscate these weapons and this exceptional performance on the job may have saved some lives.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Over the past week, I must say, our operations country-wide have yield significant success. We have seen over twenty-firearms removed from the streets for which persons have been charged and in some cases persons were not charged. These are separate and apart from the firearms that were recovered yesterday from the Gallaty’s burglary. If we were to add that, it brings us to almost forty firearms in a week off the streets. It requires good police investigation; good police intelligence and good police work. And let us not allow anyone to rob us of the hard work and dedication that you do every day as police officers, putting your lives on the line to ensure the safety of our citizenry. Getting those guns off the streets you are saving more than one lives.”
Two of the officers recognized are Sergeant William Marroquin and Constable Dion Perez. These law men say that the recognition will do well for their morale – and while the job is tough, they do their best because of the pride they have for their jobs.
William Marroquin
Sgt. William Marroquin, Awardee
“In every job that you do you do have challenges and I am so glad that I am a part of the police department and ensuring that I am carrying out my job and I am very grateful.”
PC Dion Perez, Awardee
“It motivates me and I believe it motivates other police officers in doing a wonderful job and to continue doing wonderful job and it makes me feel that our hard work isn’t just for nothing.”
Sgt. William Marroquin
“With everything, hard work always pays. I encourage other police officers to do the same and they will be in the same position I am at this moment to be recognized.”
Dion Perez
PC Dion Perez
“I love what I do and I love helping people. I love coming to work even though it is tiring sometimes because I do it for my two daughters. They are proud of me. I do it for innocent people as well because when I see them crying out for help all of that makes me want to come to work and help. Even on my day off, I feel like I need to be there working.”
And that is why Minister of National Security John Saldivar says he took the time to recognize those officers who are doing exceptional work and go beyond the call of duty to tackle crime in Belize.
John Saldivar
John Saldivar, Minister of National Security
“We know that there are those among us who give us a bad name. But we know that by and large, in the majority, the police department is made up of very fine people. We know that in policing, just like in politics, we do a job that is thankless that very seldom get the recognition that we do. But sometimes it is up to us and our organizations to which we belong for us to highlight and recognize those who have done exceptionally well and beyond the call of duty. Thank you for the work and thank you for the dedication that you have displayed and ask you to lease keep it going because we need more of this to prove to the nation that we are worthy of the task that we have been given and we will vanquish the enemy called crime.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
