Residents say their neighbourhood is target of crime

Tonight’s rundown of crime and court news is fairly typical and if anything, more tame than most of our broadcasts. But while crime is a constant concern to Belizeans, it tends to be geographically random with victims spread across a wide range of urban and rural areas. In this next story, however, I visited one Belize City neighbourhood whose residents claim that they are being specifically targeted by criminals…and are crying out for help.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
This ten-year-old girl managed to escape with only a few scratches on her fingers after she tried to fight off a robber described only as a tall dark man. The incident occurred just before eight this morning within shouting distance of the young victim’s house on Bennett Avenue in the Collet Division in Belize City. Marisol Quintanilla says she was home when she heard the terrifying screams.

Marisol Quintanilla, Mother
“Her father had just dropped her to bring some money for me to pay my light this morning. When she mi di come, I was washing my clothes when I hear somebody screaming, but I mi think some lee boy mi di play with his pa, but when I hear the next scream, I conscious that it was my daughter, somebody di hold ah. When I see the man have her so, he di grab her so, and I hear her scream, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy and I say well dah my daughter and I start to run. When I run, Miss Bennett just mi di coming out to try help her too, when I see the man let her go and run into the burying ground through that bush, and the next man come out and help and we cross the burying ground and we see a police car di pass and we tried to stop him, but the police never stop, he gone and we try to run so to see him, but we never see him.”

Tonight that robber may have gotten away with one hundred dollars, but perhaps in some pain as during her struggle to get free the little girl managed to bite the man on his hand. The incident is just one of many that have residents no longer feeling safe in their neighbourhood.

Lenita Bennett, Area Resident
“We really tired of this robbery. This robbery has been going on for months and months; the whole neighbourhood is affected by it. They are robbing the small children dem, they broke in my daughter’s house three times. We are so fed up of it.”

Marisol Quintanilla
The night, every night you could see them boys with guns or knife or something they are passing on this street and the rob the people. Five o’clock, four o’clock, one o’clock. One day right out deh they shoot a man who was selling tamales. Same thing, I my di wash that day when they shoot the man right deh. And that is why I am afraid for this piece already. All the time I tell my children, they no pass, but sometimes they still pass every morning here because that is the only way to go and buy.”

Today the neighbourhood’s women gathered to voice their frustration over having to live like prisoners in their own homes.

Mariela Castro, Area Resident
“We see when people get rob, but we cannot do nothing because we are afraid to come out.”

Esperanza Gonzales, Area Resident
“One night a boy walked me home because I come out eighty-thirty from my job, he seh I wah drop you home because the place where you live is dangerous. We come and four boys come out and talk to the bwai with a knife and start to struggle with the bwai and then the bwai try help me, he seh run home you done reach home run. And the bwai run and they tear the bwai shirt.”

Mariela Castro
“You don’t feel confident to come out. You left your house and your things and somebody could come and rob. Because every minute people are getting robbed in this area from that area to that corner. Lot of people who live behind there, they have been robbed, lot of them. We usually see when they are robbing the people, but we cannot do nothing.”

The area being targeted is situated just behind the Lord Ridge cemetery. The residents say the burial ground’s poor upkeep has created the right environment for criminals to operate.

Lenita Bennett
“We fed up of the burying ground where they are not cutting down the trees because it is the neighbours who have to get to them and cut down the trees. When City Council noh cut the trees, they hide in the bush and then when they see you coming, then they come out and attack you. I have seen too many robberies happen right around this corner and we are fed up.”

But it is not only overgrown bush that is the problem.

Lenita Bennett
“We really want a police booth to come back here and we really want the City Council to do something about the burying ground, that’s what we are asking for.”

Jacqueline Woods
“And I noticed that there are no lights as well.”

Lenita Bennett
“No lights. We don’t have no lights. We have a lamppost that is already up there. All we are asking is to put a light. The whole half of this burying ground doesn?t have no light and all the robbery happen right from this junction to that junction.”

Julie Chirinos, Area Resident
“We have some police driving back here, but that’s not enough. We have to depend on each other back here; lots of stealing.”

Mariela Castro
“We are asking for a police booth or some way that we could be protected, because it’s a little child now, what will be next? Someone could be killed and lot of things are happening back here. You hear lots of gun shots.”

Lenita Bennett
“When the robberies were in my yard, my neighbour called the police, the police have not shown up as yet.”

These mothers say they are very concerned about their children safety because too many times their lives have been at risk.

Marisol Quintanilla
“Every people who pass, he was showing his thing and we call the police and the police say he noh di do nobody nothing, he noh di rape nobody, he said. Dah so, because I called him and dah so he answer me. And my son-in-law called again and he tell him the same thing, he noh di do nobody nothing.”

The residents do not believe the people who are committing the crimes are from the area, but have simply taken advantage of the vulnerable neighbourhood.

Mariela Castro
“We do not know because we do not see them, we do not know them. I don’t know if they are from this area or wherever, but it’s very hard, because people work hard for their money. We are very poor people that live behind here. As you could see, people who live in this area are very poor.”

Esperanza Gonzales
“I have to come out and work and then the night I come with my little bit of money inna my hand, what would happen to me if I come this area and they grabbed my money? How will I survive in the week with my kids?”

The residents say they have to depend on each other for protection, but are appealing to any and all authorities to help them in their struggle.