Seine Bight Inaugurates New Police Station
A new police station was launched in Seine Bight Village on Friday, following concerns raised by residents on the Placencia Peninsula last year regarding crime and violence in that tourism destination. The ministers of Home Affairs and Tourism, along with the Area Representative for Stann Creek West, and Commissioner of Police Chester Williams were on hand for a brief opening ceremony. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Residents of Placencia inaugurated a new police station on Friday, following safety concerns raised a year ago when there was a spike in criminal activity in that area of Stann Creek District. Because the peninsula is a prime tourist destination, priority was given by the Government of Belize to address the situation by constructing a new facility that would service the area between Seine Bight Village and Riversdale.
Jose Aleman
Jose Aleman, Chairman, Seine Bight Village
“Almost a year ago, the community of Seine Bight, along with its residents, were all geared up and I would say fed up of the activities that were taking place within the community. I had no other choice but to make that phone call to: one, the Commissioner of Police, two: the southern command of the Stann Creek District and three: to the area representative. The area representative being a man of his word and a man of no delay, ensured that he communicated keenly with the Belize Police Department initially, the Ministry of Home Affairs and our village brother, the Commissioner of Police.”
While the department boasts a new police station, it is the coming together of Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa and Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler that saw the project to fruition. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams attested to the increase in crimes during that period.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We did have some issues in the Seine Bight Village area and in particular the Placencia Peninsula. Because of those issues, we came to the realization that the one sub-formation on the peninsula being the Placencia sub-formation was truly inadequate to effectively police the entire peninsula, and so we saw the need to create another sub-formation in Seine Bight to be able to deal with issues from Seine Bight all the way to the Riversdale junction. That came about very quickly, I communicated with my minister who was very willing to get the ball rolling and putting things in place to make Seine Bight, Maya Beach and the other areas more safer.”
Minister Musa points to the link between crime and tourism and why there was an urgent need to safeguard the country’s tourism product by ensuring that the destination has a permanent police presence.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Indeed, it is said that there is a direct correlation between crime and tourism, and all of you who are in the tourism sector which Seine Bight falls in one of the most beautiful peninsulas in the world, I would say, know that in order for us to have the best tourism product, we have to ensure that crime is down. Crime is one of those three things that can really turn things around when it comes to our product. Of course there is the weather, hurricanes, and then of course we experienced COVID, a health crisis a few years ago.”
The work of the men and women in uniform does not go by unacknowledged. It is the effort of law enforcement officers on the peninsula, along with residents and business owners that have curbed crime in Placencia.
Chester Williams
“Even on this peninsula we currently are, we can say proudly that under the stewardship of Inspector Martinez, we have seen a drastic reduction in major crime on this peninsula. The people who live here once feared those persons who make it their business to terrorize the lives of law-abiding people and with Mr. Martinez and his team, they made sure that those criminals do not get the upper hand and terrorize our law-abiding people, and so I ask that we give the Seine Bight formation a round of applause for a job well done.”
Isani Cayetano for News Five.
