Missing guns and more questions

To paraphrase William Shakespeare, there is something rotten in the state of Belize… and tonight that stench appears to be strongest in the police department. The latest controversy involves Monday’s reassignment of Eastern Division C.I.B. Chief Simeon Alvarez. A police press release held Alvarez responsible for failing to properly handle a number of firearms allegedly stolen from police custody. The release stated that the missing seven handguns and thirty six rounds of ammunition should have been transferred from CIB to the Department’s National Exhibit keeper and placed in the National Exhibit room. A News Five investigation, however, has determined that the guns in question were in fact stolen from the National Exhibit room, located in the lower flat of Eastern Division headquarters. Today, in the company of police press officer Christy Castillo and National Exhibit keeper, Inspector Conrad Jones, I was shown the scene of the crime and the iron bar whose lock had been broken off by the thief or thieves. The question which arises is: if the guns were in the exhibit room, which is where they were suppose to be, why is Simeon Alvarez being accused of wrongdoing? Another inconsistency in the police report is the time of the theft. A department release today states that it occurred sometime over the ten-day period between June thirtieth and July ninth. Sources in the department, however, tell News Five that as late as Thursday evening, July eighth, all items in the exhibit room were present and accounted for. To shed some light on the mystery, I once again called police Commissioner Ornel Brooks and for the second time in two days ran head on into the blue wall of silence. Brooks declined to comment and said that he sticks by Monday’s original press release. That document, we learned today, did not emanate from the police department or its press officer. It was issued directly from the Ministry of National Security. Two calls to Minister Jorge Espat had not been returned by press time and it would appear that the bad smell on Queen Street might have its origins in Belmopan. As for Assistant Inspector Simeon Alvarez, he has been relieved of his duties at C.I.B. and beginning Monday will be performing unnamed tasks at the Raccoon Street Station.