Meet & Greet on South Street

This afternoon in the vicinity of South Street, officers from the Belize Police Department went door to door meeting with residents of the area.  They were in full force as they converged on the neighborhood for the weekly Meet and Greet session.  Assistant Commissioner of Police Alden Dawson told us what officers are doing to address the ever present gang tension in that community.

ACP Alden Dawson, Officer Commanding, Eastern Division

“We continue to police this area with maximum strength we have for the area because this is the Precinct One area and we have seen a massive reduction in crime in this area so to speak.”

Reporter

“You have a number of gangs in this area; you have George Street, right here there is Rocky Road and we know there has been historically activity on Jump Street, Wagner’s Lane. How do you contain all these groups that are in constant contact and friction?”

Alden Dawson

ACP Alden Dawson

“Like I said, we continue to do our patrol, we meet with these people, we continue to do different activities; we do mediation and whatever we see necessary to contain the crime in this area. And so far, we see a reduction in crime in this area.”

Reporter

“Now if I go to my friend down on the canal side, on West Canal; well known to yourself and Mister Williams, Miss Grace. She would complain that yes the presence is there, but the youth cadet corps has been abandoned. How would you respond to that?”

ACP Alden Dawson

“Well I don’t know what Miss Grace would say to you if you go there, Jules, but I can tell you we have seen where we have lost some youths to the cadet corps and we are working on that. We are even now taking on different projects to incorporate the youth and we will continue to do that and to try to bring the youth as much as possible together.”

Reporter

“So you will try to reactive this youth cadet corps?”

ACP Alden Dawson

“Yes we are in the process of trying to reactivating what we have lost.”