Citizens on Patrol in San Pedro

There have been three murders in San Pedro this year. The murder of Alfred Kelvin Junior makes four. Compared to Belize City that may not seem like much but on a small island which depends on tourism for survival, crime is a valid and urgent concern. To address it the Police are turning to the community for assistance. Currently the Department is recruiting COPs…that is, Citizens on Patrol. If the program gets off the ground, the Police will have a whole new set of eyes and ears on the ground.

Supt. Luis Castellanos, Officer Commanding San Pedro

“On Wednesday, the twenty-eighth, we had a meeting at the Lion’s Den. To me we had a very good turnout. Mr. Orio, the National Coordinator, came and we were addressing the same situation as it relates to crime. The Police alone cannot fight the crime. We need the citizens to come on board. They would be our eyes and our ears. With this program we are hoping that at least twenty-five persons join so that we can start the program. It’s what you call Citizens on Patrol. And so far I understand fifteen persons have joined, so we are looking forward to see more joining. And we believe that it will help because we will put the program to work. I told them from my side we want that participation, the Police will be participating. On that day the twenty-eighth I think even the Mayor joined the Citizens on Patrol and has indicated that he will do his part to support the program. So we’re looking forward for it to work for us.”

Reporter

Luis Castellanos

“How do you all envision the program working? What kind of scope of authority will the Citizens on Patrol have? What is expected of them?”

Supt. Luis Castellanos

“For the start they will not have powers of arrest like Special Constables. They will just be Citizens on Patrol…they will be our eyes and our ears. They will patrol along with the Police Department. As to how we will divide it…I have indicated to the Mayor and everybody…we have realized that our crime ridden area is definitely sector two of the island. Sector two for us is town core, Boca del Rio, San Juan and San Pedrito. Those are the areas that are giving us the most problems. So from the whole group, if we do have the amount of personnel that we need from the citizens, we will decide as to okay…maybe this group is from the San Juan area so we’ll put the same group that comes from San Juan…if say fifteen people join, and ten of them are from San Juan, we’re going to focus in the area where the crime is affecting us the most.”