San Pedro Has to Adhere to S.O.E., Not Regulations of Town Council

Chester Williams

Earlier this weekend, the San Pedro Town Council issued its own regulations in terms of opening hours for businesses on the island. While all but one measure fell outside of the parameters set by statutory instrument number sixty-two, the issue raised concerns, because the national state of emergency applies to the entire country, San Pedro included. San Pedro Mayor Daniel Guerrero made the announcement on Tuesday following a meeting of the Emergency Operation Centre on the island. Today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told News Five that the measures implemented in San Pedro are inconsistent with the national state of emergency; they are illegal and not enforceable.  ComPol Williams says that Minister Heredia has been informed and the issue has been rectified.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We have one country, we have one central government. We currently have one state of emergency proclamation and one regulation that governs that state of emergency proclamation. And that proclamation and regulations cover the entire country of Belize and as such, it is incumbent on the police throughout the country of Belize to enforce those regulations as stipulated in regulations sixty-two. In terms of what is being proposed in San Pedro, those—as far as I am concerned—are unenforceable. And I have had that discussion with Mister Noble and have directed him that he should only be policing the regulations as outlined in regulations sixty-two and nothing else. I must say that I had spoken to the minister this morning, Mister Heredia—he was the one who reached out to me—and we discussed the matter and he is in agreement with me that what is being proposed in San Pedro cannot go through. And so he has said that he is going to speak to his people and explain to them that they will have to follow the national laws of the country. And so I think that matter can now be put to rest.”

ComPol Williams says that any sanctions against the San Pedro Town Council would come from the Attorney General’s Ministry, but the Police Department will continue to enforce the laws of regulation sixty-two.