ComPol on Under-Age Violent Offenders

Chester Williams

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams spoke about the growing problem of young perpetrators of violent crime in Belize.  He called on protestors to take to these streets with the same passion when a youth is accused of murder.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“While we look at this whole situation, I need the public to understand, and this is no justification. I need the public to understand that we are living in a society where the propensity for younger people has become so deadly, in some cases, even deadlier than the older folks. When we look in society today and we see the amount of murders today being committed by children it is alarming. And, the same way how we have the public and the different organizations coming out for this, which I must say is good, the same way I would like to see the public come out when a child is accused of killing somebody because when that happens there is a serious break down in a home that needs to be addressed. Because, sending that child to prison may not be the solution. But rather, to see the public come out and find some alternative measure to be able to address these deadly propensities of our young people. Because, if we continue this way we are going to have more and more encounters with police and young people, and that is not the way we want to go.”