Commissioner on Crime: Trial Farm in Orange Walk Will See More Police Presence

Serious crimes in Belize City might have been on a decline over the past few weeks, but Commissioner of Police Chester Williams explained that in the districts, particularly in Orange Walk, there is a need to strengthen the police presence and crime-fighting mechanism. He said that in the Trial Farm community, there will be some upgrades.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We know that no matter what our efforts may be, we will never be able to rid the country. But certainly true good policing as well as true multi-sectoral approach of fighting crime. We can manage it to an acceptable level. And I think that the public would agree that over the past few months we have been doing exceedingly well in terms of our crime-fighting, efforts. And again, like I said, it has a lot to do with good and effective policing, as well as the implementation of our multi-sectoral approach in fighting crime. The different committee leaders in the different areas of publicity are working diligently with the L.I.U. in making sure that the different gang written areas in publicity are kept as calm as possible and to be able to deal with and stem any field that may emanate between the different groups. So that is what we’re doing. But while we do manage validity, we’re seeing a little pop-up here and there out district. And so we’re trying to see what we can do to address those, particularly in Orange Walk Town, where we’re seeing, um, the Trail Farm area is becoming a problematic area for us. I will be going to Orange Walk next week Tuesday, and I will meet the O.C there and his management team, and then we’ll go into the community and see what are the expectations that they can do to help us to address the crime issue. I will appeal to the Orange Walk people from now that my intention is to see if we can put a police substation in the trial farm area. I believe that area has grown tremendously and the one central station at the location it is now is not sufficient to be able for the police to be able to effectively police Orange Walk Town. So putting a substation in the Trial Farm area, I think is a way to go, now, in the first instance. And we might look at decentralizing to other areas, eventually.”