Cyber Bullies, Be Ware; the Police Can Track You Down

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, U.N.O.D.C., today conducted virtual cyber crime training for the Belize Police Department, the magistracy and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The training is focused on the elements of cyber crime and how to respond and properly investigate cyber crime. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams shared how the police can now address crimes committed online. And it doesn’t matter whether you use your real name to commit the crime or use a fake account. The police will be able to trace the person who committed the crime.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Within the Police Department itself, we have an issue of officers not being aware of when a cyber crime has occurred. Like for instance, if you were to see someone bullying you on social media, and you go to the police, for the most part the police will tell you we can’t do anything, when in fact the legislation is there and they can do something. So even within the department itself we’re doing a lot of sensitization in bringing our officers up to speed in letting them understand the law itself and what their powers are under the law so that we will be able to address the issues of people where cyber crime is concerned. Once the complaint is made then the police station – the officer who would be dealing with the complaint would make a request to the cyber crime unit here in Belmopan and the cyber crime unit here is going to ensure that they notify Facebook to preserve the information as well as to – and it will be preserved so that when we get a court order they will have it – and once that is done then we also download what we can download from the site itself that will serve as evidence,  but we also ask people when they come to bring along a copy of the post that they find to be offensive to them.”