Police high command seeks to rally support
Police today used the arrests as one of the few bright spots in a presentation to the media on their efforts to cool off the situation in the city.
Gerald Westby, Police Commissioner
“We are using a carrot and stick approach, we’ll lick you hard, the criminals who want to continue wanton violence.”
ACP Allen Whylie, O.C Eastern Division
“Street by street, block by block, we can neutralize this situation.”
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
This morning the police high command briefed the press on the recent upsurge of criminal violence in Belize City. According to the authorities they would not characterize what has been unfolding as gang activity. They choose to describe a loosely organized group of young men who have decided to settle their scores with bullets instead of words.
ACP Allen Whylie
“If Belizeans remain dormant and do not become actively involved with their security forces, it allows the criminals and the criminal activities to breed within their neighbourhoods.”
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Officer Commanding Eastern Division, Allen Whylie, although they know the identity of the perpetrators, it is going to take a community effort to end the bloodshed that has taken ten lives in the past thirty-seven days.
ACP Allen Whylie
“We know the persons who are involved, we know who we want, but the evidential process requires the paper trail, statements. Until persons become actively involved, the situation cannot be adequately controlled.”
Police investigations suggest that the recent gun related violence is the result of a two year old homicide that led to the murder of George ‘Junie Balls” Mckenzie and the subsequent retaliation killings.
Sr. Supt. Chester Williams, Dep. Com. Eastern Division
“From our analysis, it evolves from a previous killing of which someone was incarcerated, but because of one of the witness not going to court to testify, that person came out of jail and went and settled his score with the use of a gun. And that sparked off what we are going through at present.”
Since the shootings started the police have placed mobile and foot patrols at strategic locations identified as hot spots.
Sr. Supt. Chester Williams
“We are working very hard night and day trying to contain the situation. Having identified these areas, we have now posted police officers at all the strategic locations. We are not saying that the police presence in those areas will stop the crime totally, but I’m certain that it will contain the situation. We have identified many of the shooters who have been coming out of the Mayflower area. And just yesterday morning, myself and a team from the A.D.U. and the Major Crimes Team were in the Mayflower area conducting a predawn surgical strike operation based on intelligence, and these sort of operations will continue. And during that operation yesterday, we apprehended one of the suspects who was wanted for one of the murders.”
“We might find that the problem has strained to other areas so we will be looking at that likewise, right. So we will not be running out on the streets like chicken without heads but rather, we’ll organise ourselves properly and deploy our human resources where it is most needed.”
The police will also be tightening security for the September Celebrations by increasing the number of law enforcement officers on the streets and at events.
Police say that arrests have been made in five of the ten most recent murder cases.
