Minister of Police on Gang Truce Funds
A truce was signed with the gangs last year to keep the peace. At the end of 2011, there were one hundred and twenty-four murders while in 2010 were one hundred and twenty-nine, five more than last year. While gang related murder may be down, since the beginning of the year, there have been fourteen homicides, one more than in the same period last year. Since the truce started last September to the first week in January, the government spent eight hundred and eighty thousand dollars on several programs involving the gangs. But many feel that the prime minister should not negotiate with criminals or have to pay them not to kill. This morning, Minister of Police Doug Singh said that the government is facilitating employment for the gangs.
Doug Singh, Minister of Police
“It was costing the government, if my memory serves me correctly, between thirty-five and forty, forty-two thousand dollars a week.”
Marleni Cuellar
“Since last year…”
Doug Singh
Doug Singh
“Last September, but once again it was only to initiate the programs. Once the funding rolled through for the Southside programs that got shifted so it’s not costing the government a major additional amount of money to sustain the program because we have now absorbed these people into work programs. Let me give you an example; the lining of the canal from Conch Shell Bay all the way down to the Yabra area, the contract was won by CISCO Construction. Mr. Woods indicated that there’s a tremendous amount of employment that this program can bring. Ministry of Works sent a letter to them—I think it was without proper communication indicating that you are going to have to pour the concrete with the trucks because we need to be able to measure the strength of the concrete and that is the only way we can get it. Mr. Woods says no, no, no, no; there are many different ways it just means that Ministry of Works needs to be out there more often doing testing. But what am I going to do? Bring a truck in here to pour concrete that will only have the mixer and these two or three or four individuals and un-employ these twenty, thirty, forty people that can be working on teams along the way. Government interfered and contacted Ministry of Works and says ha-ah, we are going to do it the way CISCO wants because it continues the employment of these individuals. They are not working for the government of Belize, they are working for a contractor who has a private contract from the government of Belize.”
HUH !!!
FIRST @$$!@#$ GOV . that NEGOTIATES with GANGS ???!!!!
I AM OUT… I CANNOT UNDERSTAND THAT !!!!
Well… this is the time I CAN DO something !!!!
I WILL VOTE OUT THIS STUPID, DUMBEST, MORON GOV. IN THIS GLOBE!!!!
When there is no leader this is what happens total destruction of every form of life in Belize totally useless pm and gov. Especially when the leader of the country spend more time in Miami than in the country I wonder how much money has been stashed in Miami banks.
“facilitating employment for the gangs”, what about the ordinary Citizens, they are being ignored? Doug Singh, you and ur government are good for nothing!!
Its these same gangsters and their family who are jumping up behind these failed-political-wanna-be leaders. Look at the type of people they are attracting. And you know wat? These are the same ignorant illiterate people that will vote them back in. Everybody know that George/West Street boys will never vote any other color cause all they know bout is RED. Why you think Finnegan and Barrow always win. Did you actually believe that its because Barrow and Finnegan are working for these people. And vice versa why you think Musa wins? Hello….Majestic Alley. Come election day we will know which one of the gangs are truly ruling Belize. Sounds stupid right? Think bout it. On election day UDP will win. Then you will get the picture of how much our Belize literacy rate has fallen! Cause the educated and informed Belizeans see what Barrow and his own gangster are doing to Belize. The last I heard our literacy rate was at 70% I wonder how farther it has fallen.
I graduated from UB 2 years ago with a bachelors degree in nursing, a have applied all over for jobs and have received no positive response. KHMH response was that it is cheaper to hire Cuban or Nigerian nurses. now I hear the government giving 50 thousand dollars a week to murdering gangbangers and I can’t get a job. this is my first election to vote, and while my family is UDP I cannot in my right mind vote for them. PUP is the only choice right now.
What exactly are they (THE GANGS) being paid to do??? What kind of work??
I can’t believe that this government are so foolish. How many families have a house that seek eminent repairs and keep being turn around by this government; then, they will pay the same people that will take the lives of friends, families and love ones. Countries like Guatemala or the USA will never do something like that. Then I wonder why we pay Military guys
I personally saw a known George Street Gang Member working as an Immigration Officer (in uniform) at the Corozal Santa Elena Northern Border 2 weeks ago.
This is not the solution to solve the gang problem in Belize. This is directing law abiding citizens who cannot find employment to become gang members in order to collect some sort of salary. This is irresponsible and ridiculous management of tax payers money…..
a vote for UDP seems like a vote for George Street Gang to run the country. dawg eaat wi suppa!