Community Policing Takes Center Stage with Citizen Advisory Committees across Belize

Chester Williams

Commissioner Chester Williams says that  community policing is getting a boost across the country as commanders of the different regions are being tasked to form citizen groups that will advise and support their mandate. Here’s how he explains it.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“It is a directive to all commanders that they need to put in place within their respective area of responsibility a citizen advisory committee which is similar to what we used to have in San Ignacio. That committee is to be there to work with the police to advise the police on crime issue in the respective areas, as well as to be a vehicle that can be used to lobby either government or NGOs for resources to assist the police. So, I know that in San Ignacio Town they already gave the citizen advisory committee but what needs to be done now is to ensure that the mandate of the committee is achieved – so again is to remind commanders that there is a need for the monthly meetings and the commander is to do a presentation to the committee to give them an appreciation of the crime outlook from a statistical standpoint because you don’t want people contributing and not seeing the result of their contribution and they will look at the areas being affected and make recommendations on how the police can address those issues in those respective areas.”