Did Police Relax on Regulations for COVID-19?

Chester Williams

Was there a lax in the enforcement of regulations pertaining to social distancing, as well as the use of face masks, when the national state of emergency was lifted several weeks ago?  While many Belizeans returned to some normalcy or a carefree existence, Commissioner Williams says that the police department did not become complacent with making sure that persons abide those regulations.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I wouldn’t want to say that.  We cannot just blame the police for everything that occurs.  I have been harping all along that we need to pay very, very close attention to nightclubs.  I saw it as a potential for a mass spread and that was the spirit with which I was behind nightclubs, ensuring that there is compliance and as a society we all have a responsibility.  The law is out there and I would suspect that every nightclub owner, every bus operator, every boat operator, every establishment owner would have taken the responsibility upon themselves to ensure that their patrons comply by the law.  We have that now in the law where the establishment owners and operators would have been held liable; we just managed to get that in now.  With that now, the establishment owner must ensure that whoever comes upon their premises that they abide by the law because if they don’t abide by the law then the establishment owner will be held liable.”