Police establish Family Violence Unit
At the Children’s Summit last year one child asked the government officials on the panel why there were police for tourists but none devoted to protecting the children. Well, the new Family Violence Unit may not exactly be what that child had in mind, but the Police Department says children and their families will be getting special attention through the establishment of this department which will eventually have branches in all the districts. The officers, who deal with family violence issues, also handle reports of children being left home alone or who are being abused by parents or other relatives. The officers in the unit are receiving additional training in counseling and other relevant subjects so that they can better serve the public. But the public has to do its part as well.
On November twenty-eighth, 1999 the Police Department opened its Family Violence Unit. The unit was established to address the growing crimes of rape, assault, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and child abandonment.
Christy Castillo, Police Press Officer
“We have been looking at the trends of crimes in Belize and it has gone from man beating woman and woman beating man and marital issues but also dealing with children. This Family Violence Unit will do sexual crimes of children, women, little boys, whatever. It will deal with domestic issues between the marital couples but also with child abuse, all forms of emotional neglect, abandonment, sexual… you name it, this is the unit.”
The unit is located at Eastern Division on Queen Street. It currently has a small staff of four women but there are plans to expand the service. The unit works closely with other agencies like BOWAND, NOPCA, the Department of Women’s Affairs, the Department of Human Development and the Family Court. Although the unit is managed by the police, they have made sure it is not intimidating.
Cpl. Carol Tucker, Head, Family Violence Unit
“The reason why we are in civilian clothes is because we don’t want the public to be afraid of us. They can always come in, make a report, feel free to make a report; we are always here. We don’t want them to be afraid of us, although we are police officers.”
Christy Castillo
“This is a highly confidential unit. The officers were chosen. It was a very selective process. Their files were done because once something comes in it is private even from the other police departments. For example if someone comes in here to report a rape, C.I.B. may not necessarily find out about it because it is being dealt with here especially if they don’t want court action.”
Since the unit has been opened, the staff has been very busy. Not only have they been helping abused women, but they have also come to the rescue of abandoned children. On Saturday, January fifteenth, the unit received its first disturbing call.
W.P.C. Faye Usher, Investigator, Family Violence Unit
“We got an information that three kids were left abandoned in a house on East Collet Canal. Police responded and upon arrival they found three children. One, five-month-old baby girl, a little boy two years and a girl six years. They were immediately removed from the house where they were taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they were examined by the doctor and from there they were transported to the Child Care Unit on St. Thomas Street and handed over.”
The mother has been charged with three counts of abandonment and is presently out on bail. Meanwhile the children have been placed with relatives. This case comes just three days after two children: two-year-old Deon and four-year-old George Rowland Jr. were burnt alive after they were left home alone. The father was charged with causing death by careless conduct. The Police Department is sending out a strong warning to parents.
C.P.L. Carol Tucker
“Especially the parents, don’t leave their children at home because we are here to charge them for neglect and abandonment of their child. We are dealing very hard with that.”
The unit as well is also working hard to see that cases brought before them are prosecuted. The officers say it is not easy.
W.P.C. Carla Reynolds, Investigator, Family Violence Unit
“The most frustrating part of this job for me is to do all the work, do all the paper work, all the investigation, sleepless nights. Because these things do bother you at night, you go home and you think about that specific child who is being abused and you say what you can do for this child. And then later on not to find out, putting this man through court the woman or the wife or whoever will go and withdraw the charges.”
The community as well is being called upon to do its part to fight against family violence.
W.P.C. Carla Reynolds
“But people wait until the worst and then they start talking and then we don’t know what is going on out there. We have to work hand in hand because we don’t know exactly. We can’t be in two places at the same time. But if you can just pick up the phone and say well I saw something look suspicious can you come and check it out we will work on it.”
Presently the unit is open from seven a.m. to four p.m. and from four p.m. to one a.m. but there are plans to operate the service on a twenty-four hour basis.
The Family Violence Unit also deals with missing person reports. You can reach the Unit by calling 72222 and ask for extension 118.
