More Security Cameras and Crooks’ recommendations for crime
Carlos Perdomo
Eight members of Kolbe returned from a vigorous training in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Monday. The training along with fifty thousand dollars worth of equipment came courtesy of the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) which is an initiative geared to battle crime in Central America and Mexico. On hand for the presentation was Carlos Perdomo, the Minister of National Security. While at the Central Prison, Perdomo spoke about strategies to curb crime and spoke of the implementation of the Crooks report, which was written by Harold Crooks. Crooks as you know, is the disgraced lawman who fled Jamaica and police in that country are seeking him for a sex crime.
Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security
“In Belmopan is the first business meeting of our policing policy and standard board which I named some of the members about two weeks ago. That is coming out of the Crooks report and that will be almost revolutionary. Because it is introducing a special body to look at the day to day operations, standards and policies of the police force.”
Jose Sanchez
“Since you mentioned Crooks, should Mr. Crooks’ personal life have any effect on the report or what is happening in Belize?”
Carlos Perdomo
“I don’t think so, if we start to do that we’ll have to go to every politician past and present. I would say when Mr. Crooks was here, he was a real professional fellow. He has a law degree. He has been in the police force a long time. If somebody gets into that kind of trouble, while it is something serious, I don’t think it will affect the professional standards of his work. If we start doing that we’re in a lot of trouble.”
Jose Sanchez
“How effective is the use of cameras? I noticed some new cameras up in West Landivar.”
Carlos Perdomo
“We are experimenting with the use of cameras around the police station. But cameras are a great help in security. It’s just that it’s extremely expensive and you have to have a lot of it. And it takes- sometimes the expense is not only in the equipment but the people who have to sit and look at them. But it is an area we are moving into. We have already begun; we are trying to find cheaper cameras than the ones that we inherited in the police department. Kolbe is beginning to expand its camera network. We’re going to begin to look at that. It’s also a wonderful tool for the private sector and shops and like that. I am still learning that some of the shops still don’t have cameras. You know that is one of the basic things that will help solve crime and stop it from occurring when they see your cameras.”
Is this a joke?…..Mr. Perdomo is placing cameras in West Landivar? come on now, you now know well and good that West Landivar is no hot spot on crime, infact it’s quite the opposite. But like what any good minister would do is to place priority on or to look out for his area residents/constituency first before anyone else. When are cameras going to placed on southside where crime is rampant?? Not anytime soon i’m predicting. They always try to make it look as if they are actually doing their jobs they are being paid to do which they aren’t.
I really dont know why is that in the state of threats to Belize’s national security both internally and externally(remember Guatemala?????), that the government of Belize is cutting the Ministry of National Security budget? No sensible country that I know bout even in the state of economic hardships, would dare to cut the budget for national security because the police and the armed forces are the backbone of a country. This is nonsense!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you Jedi Knight, but the ministry of finance(Barrow’s ministry) surely got an increase this year in the budget. I wonder why? and for what reason?
On what planet are we living where 90% of the street cameras are placed in just one residential area, which, by the way, happens to be the constituency of the Crime minister?
This Minister of National Security is a joke…..He should resign….Jefferies too….My suggestions to the government include re-introduce death by hanging, imprisonment with hard labour, introduce a national draft for the army and build a maximum security prison in Western/Southern Belize – up in the hills and mountains and forget about those dratted Human Rights gurus .
The whole UDP gov’t are dumbs, lol we need the cost of living to go down also,more employments, yeap thats rite they cut the budget from the police dept, we can only expect more corrupt police officer just watch and see ! the priority should be the area that are more at risk like the southside, “remember that tha fool the talk but da no fool di listen”.
I thought segregation was over,minister perdomo?
You guys sound stupid. The cameras were donated by Mr perdomo himself for his constituency in response to several meeting with the area residents and issues with security. That came out of his commitee and has nothing to do with govenrment. What you people need to do is look into things before you talk. This is the type of careless statements people make without thinking. The minister cant raise everyone’s pikney or cant be everywhere. All these people a responsible for themselves.
DIAZ YOU MUST BE A UDP FANATIC TRYING TO TAKE FACE FOR A USELESS MINISTER THAT CAN’T EVEN FEEL SAFE IN HIS AREA. HE TRIES TO FEEL SAFER WITH THE CAMERAS AOURND HIS AREA BUT DOESN’T THINK THAT HE MIGHT STILL NEED TO WALK AWAY SOMETIME FROM THAT AREA. EVEN HE TRIES TO MAKE THINGS BETTER BY PUTTING CAMERAS AROUND BUT HAS NO INTENTIONS OF THINKING OF NOT CUTTING THE FUNDS FOR THE POLICE DEPARMENT. DAMN MEIN, MINISTERES ARE A DISGRACE TO OOUR NATION.
Mr, minister, thanks for making West Landivar safer with the fancy security cameras. We can all breathe more easily now that you made such an important contribution to the crime situation somewhere! It only took you two years and over 200 murders later. Now do you think you can focus on the less important South side of Belize where the children are hearing gunshot ringing out at any hour of the day? Where just about every family has lost a loved one, or close friend to gun violence? You knew the crime situation of this country before the general election of 2008. You knew where the “headache” area is and I’m sure your ideas on solving crimes must have impressed the Prime Minister or he would not have given you such an important Port Folio. The buck stops with you and until you realize that we will continue experiencing the senseless loss of so many young lives. Sadly, Belize will soon become one of the least desirable countries to live in.