A Regional Security Meeting Hosting in Belize
If you were in the vicinity of the Biltmore Plaza today, you would have thought that heads of government were in country because there was high security presence in the area. Senior men and women of police forces dressed in their uniforms could have been seen. They were police chiefs and directors and senior commanding officers from Central America and the Caribbean, as well as Mexico and Colombia, who are attending a regional security meeting being held for the first time in Belize. Earlier today, an inaugural ceremony was held for the two-day conference. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The twenty-eighth ordinary General Assembly of the Chiefs and Directors of Police for Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia and Mexico is a historic moment for the country of Belize. It is hosting the regional security meeting.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“The session today is historic and unprecedented in many ways. Firstly, of course, our Commissioner of Police assuming presidency of this commission, being elected as president of this commission for Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Colombia, but also for us to host this event. This is the twenty-eight general assembly meeting of the commissioners and directors of police for the region and of course, this is where you receive an ultra holistic approach to crime in the sense that it is all of these countries coming together to strategize, to share information, to share intelligence and to come up with a strategy for the region in combating not just transnational crime but crime within our respective jurisdictions – whatever form that may take.”
Representatives from fifteen security organizations have converged to discuss transnational crimes affecting the region. Officials from Haiti and the Bahamas were in attendance, while Guatemala and Panama were absent due to protests happening in those countries. The commission is made up of police commissioners and chiefs from twelve countries and ComPol Chester Williams was elected back in June as president until the end of 2024.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The priority areas are those areas that we would refer to as transnational crime; the issue of drug trafficking, human trafficking, human smuggling, auto theft and cybercrime. Those are the main crimes that we would target when it comes to our regional operations. And so, our discussion over the next two days is going to be centered around those types of crime as well as to see how we could incorporate other areas that we believe may be essential to citizen security within the Central American region.”
Kareem Musa
“All of our jurisdictions are prone to flights not just taking off, but landing within our respective jurisdictions and so that is certainly one of the main points that’s going to be highlighted today and is going to be addressed in the form of a strategy buy this cohort of commissioners.”
Collaboration between these security agencies has been key in the tracking of drug planes northbound from South America. The partnership improves data sharing and over the two-day conference, the security leaders will look at a regional crime-fighting strategy.
Chester Williams
“As the president, it is my duty to ensure that I provide good leadership and guidance to this esteemed commission. And so as we assemble today and tomorrow to discuss our achievements over the past year and to plan the roadmap for 2024 in terms of how we will be policing the Central American region, it is important that we realise that we cannot just police the region with just the police organizations that are based within the Central American, Colombia, Mexico and Caribbean region, but also there needs to be collaboration between our commission and the ACCP. As you would know the Caribbean stands right next to Central America and it is only right that we incorporate the Caribbean into our discussions.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
