Homicides On the Rise in Cayo District
At least by our unofficial stats, murders in Belize City have gone way down, which is good news. But murders in the districts have gone up, which is bad news. And it gets worse. Murders in the city, particularly due to gang violence, can be addressed, and have been addressed, proactively. But many of the murders in the districts can’t be addressed quite so easily.
Ret’d. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
“Belize District had a sharp decrease, but my concern is the Cayo District, which seems to be the next highest in terms of homicide rates, and that is worrying. And I do note that the two northern districts had very small figures, and when you have small figures it’s very difficult for you to have a good projection as to how things are. But we are looking at those. Orange Walk for example had a couple more than they had last year, and so did Corozal, and even the Stann Creek District. But it is the type of crime that is very difficult for us to police. You know you have friend that leave a bar, and when they left there is no indication that they were going to fight or go into a type of incident that would cause one to kill the other, and before they arrive at their destination they get into a fight and one ends up murdered. It’s very difficult for us to police those types of things.”
We’ll have a much more comprehensive look at the crime statistics in early 2015, though we certainly hope the figures won’t change all that much.
A young cowboy named Billy Joe grew restless on the farm
A boy filled with wonderlust who really meant no harm
He changed his clothes and shined his boots
And combed his dark hair down
And his mother cried as he walked out
Don’t take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don’t take your guns to town
He laughed and kissed his mom
And said your Billy Joe’s a man
I can shoot as quick and straight as anybody can
But I wouldn’t shoot without a cause
I’d gun nobody down
But she cried again as he rode away
Don’t take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don’t take your guns to town
He sang a song as on he rode
His guns hung at his hips
He rode into a cattle town
A smile upon his lips
He stopped and walked into a bar
And laid his money down
But his mother’s words echoed again
Don’t take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don’t take your guns to town
He drank his first strong liquor then to calm his shaking hand
And tried to tell himself he had become a man
A dusty cowpoke at his side began to laugh him down
And he heard again his mothers words
Don’t take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don’t take your guns to town
Filled with rage then
Billy Joe reached for his gun to draw
But the stranger drew his gun and fired
Before he even saw
As Billy Joe fell to the floor
The crowd all gathered ’round
And wondered at his final words
Don’t take your guns to town son
Leave your guns at home Bill
Don’t take your guns to town