Police Officers Willing to Go to Haiti on Security Mission

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says he is open to the idea of also sending police officers from Belize to Haiti on the security mission being led by Kenya and the United Nations. According to ComPol Williams, several police officers have approached him to voice their willingness. So far, the conversation has been surrounding the deployment of Belize Defense Force Soldiers and members of the Belize Coast Guard.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Officers have approached and said that if there should be a deployment to Haiti they would like to go. Police officers are aware that when to comes to the nature of our work, we are subject to being deployed anywhere across the country and if needs be to go and do piece missions in the country if that is the case. Every year we have operation trade winds and it does prepare the member states for situations like these in the event they need to gather troops to go to other countries. And while some of us might look and say well why go to Haiti when we have our own issues at home. We must understand we have our own issues that could lead to us requiring our counterpart’s countries to come in and assist us, in the event that lets say for example something Guatemala. We cannot sit and say we should not help because it is not our problem. Sometimes other people problem could end up becoming ours and we could find ourselves in positions where we need assistance with others. If we are not willing to assist now what will trigger other countries to assist us if or when we need assistance. We need to strike a balance with what we will say and decisions we would make. At the end of the day it is a matter for the Prime Minister to decide.”