Addressing Gang Violence Requires a Multi-agency Approach

Chester Williams

With a ceasefire having been brokered yet again, how long will it last this time and what input will other government departments have in encouraging gang members to keep the peace?

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“While yes, we try in mediation to see how we can get them to come to a common ground to end the gun violence, the question is, “How long is the truce going to last?”  It is yet to be seen.  The last time we had a session with them, the Martin’s went quiet for five months.  We’ll see if it goes for five months again.  …There needs to be more input from other agencies.  We the police, as I said before, we do more than we should because we have now ventured into doing social work which is not the responsibility of the police.  But again, that is something that we have seen police departments, not only in Belize, take up.  It has happened across the world because we believe that whenever those entities that have the responsibility to do social work fail then it falls on us because you have more crime, then our hands become more full in terms of trying to address the issue of crime.  So we believe that by addressing some of the social issues, it helps us to be able to prevent crime.”