New police building dedicated in Belmopan

Today a new building was dedicated in Belmopan that both the donor and recipient hope will help curb crime. The Joint Intelligence Coordinating Centre will be the place where police focus their intelligence gathering efforts, aiming specifically at drug and arms trafficking, alien smuggling and other activities of particular interest to the United States of America. It is that country which was primarily responsible for financing the centre’s construction and has provided additional funds for related equipment and supplies. In his remarks this morning Minister of National Security Jorge Espat said that the curbing of crime is something that the police cannot do alone.

Jorge Espat, Minister of National Security

“Together the USA and Belize are working to fight criminals and criminal activities especially illegal drug trafficking, stolen vehicles, illegal firearms and alien smuggling. There is so much to admire and so much to question in our country. Rarely have Belizeans lived through so much violence, so much anger, so much cynicism. The ground is shifting beneath our feet and we must prepare for the new challenges. We cannot much longer refuse to see and hear and understand the full force of the crime problems and it’s attendant violence. I have never believed that Belize’s crime problems will be solved by any other government or any other people. The choice is clear, we either shape the kind of country we wish to live and work in or violent forces will design a country inhospitable to us.”