Budget slices away cash into police department
During the budget debate last week in the capital, it was revealed that the Ministry of National Security would not be spared from a budget cut and will be facing new constraints for the upcoming financial year. The police department stands to see less cash infused in its coffers to battle crime and that is a source of concern since the city is already known as murder capital number one. On Friday, Carlos Perdomo, the Minister of National Security, gave a lengthy speech indicating his support for the budget even though much has been taken away from the ministry that seems to need every dollar to fight the violent crime wave that has moved from hot spots in the city to once crime free areas of the city. When we caught up with him today at Kolbe, Perdomo said that despite budget cuts, assistance from partners such as the Central American Regional Security Initiative will hopefully help to bridge the gap in a cash strapped police department.
Carlos Perdomo
Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security
“Mr. Perdomo, you said on Friday that you fully support the budget. Is it with a heavy heart being that parts of your ministry has been cut? There are things we can do to compact the budget, instead of having 10 or 12 items, you try to do some savings. It’s not with a heavy heart at all, it’s with a good feeling, its going into other things like education, public works, social department. Belmopan is the capital but statistics will show that Belize is the crime capital, statistics will show that an the budget has been cut from Belize City. You’re absolutely right…some of it is in cydp, bdf, police, for example, the day yet, in a few days we will get three vehicles through the central American initiative…we are getting gratis…yes some money has gone but it is not lost. ..it is coming from a partner…there was a cut but not a cut I would have tolerated or the pm would have tolerated that we know would have affected our operations.”
CARSI is an US initiative that is designed to fight crime in Central America and Mexico, which is the country that stands to benefit the most from it.
Yes!!!!! Cut the budget to the police department and let the criminals run rampant in the streets of Belize, because the Government of Belize does not believe that the crime rate is high enough!! They will not stop until we top Jamaica for the highest crime rate in the Caribbean, I mean we are already fighting St. Kitts for third place, so why not let us take first place and get it over with? This is dumb, all they can think about is cutting the budget in important places that actually need money while they keep their amount of money to buy their fancy car and accessories. Something is wrong with Belizeans to let this go on so long!!
I wonder and maybe you guys who comment regularly can help me with this train of thought. The budget cuts are inevitable, there’s nothing we can do about it, I think the ministers duty then is to engineer a plan in which the smaller stipend can be used efficiently. Do you guys think downsizing of the police force would be effective. I actually think it would. See, alot of the crime we suffer here is complicated by a significant portion of the police force having gone rogue. That portion of the force is a far larger threat than the petty criminal on the street. Perhaps downsizing would allow more money to be spent on quality control, after all, it’s quality not quantity that matters right? What do you guys think?
Why are we not using some of our X BDF Officers to work in the ministry of defense.Do Perdo have any kind of military background?I don’t think so hence the reason he is so lame.
I thought one of the main responsibilities of any governemnt is to provide safety and security for it’s people, especially in a crime infested place like Belize City. Why would the PM and Perdomo even consider cutting the budget for the police dept.? It seems to me that they are more concern about how much money is left in the budget for their own personal and financial benefit than the safety of the Belizean people. Shame on them.
well belize it, if it’s that case well eliminate police force in half and use our b.d.f who are not doing nothing . ive never seen them patroling the borders or the towns or cities ( 2 only.) and maybe it will be more effective law and order in belize if they do that. it’s true majority of police aren’t ready, aren’t patriotic to serve and protect, aren’t skilled. there ready only to ride around and harras civilians that might dislike thier lack of efficiency.
The Prime Minister is rally acting like a jackass.Why is this clung cutting fonds to the Police Force when crime in Belize is escalating.What about giving the Police Force some of that 3.5 million you boasted of having?I read an article Which states that you are one of the ritchest Belizean but yet you crying about recession and rasing tax on our Belizean brothers and sisters.
Let’s not depend on the government for everything. Let’s organized ourselves block by block, street by street and let’s take back our city and our country. Let the new generation of leaders rise. Belize is a GREAT NATION …. Yes We Can!!!
I’m with you on that Earl Grey!!!!…….BELIZE IS STILL THE JEWEL OF THE CARRIBEAN….Parents, teachers, neighbors, preachers, lawmakers, every citizen of Belize should rise up and put their foot down…enough is enough….come together to find ways to take back the streets from the criminals…..WE ARE FAILING THE YOUTHS;;;and the government don’t seem to have much solutions.
How can a government SLASH it’s police department, that is so backward already in technology and crime prevention, then expect the citizens to “help them” do a job, that they are not fully prepared to do.
Think about this:
Question: remember that special meeting that PM and other high ups had a few months ago with the gang leaders , does that meeting have anything to do with cutting the budget for police?
Remember: the ministers did what the gangs wanted, painted some courts etc… now this?
Who they really working for? who’s in control in Belize?
It sure looks like funny business going on!
The other day in Jamaica, these 3 guys went to rob a neighborhood. The residents lay waited them and just converged on them and chopped 2 of them to death. Belizeans need to start to get tenacious like that with the criminals and corrupt police officer