Police and CitCo Clean Up Majestic Alley

Last week the Police, Belize City Council, and residents cleaned out the Pickstock Hutment known as the “The Jungle” and this week the Police Department is back at it again this time cleaning out Pinks Alley and neighboring Munoz Alley. A few weeks ago, police were conducting routine visits to the area and were overwhelmed by the rubbish they found in the midst of the residences. They decided to do something about it. Today, News Five stopped in at the clean up in Majestic Alley.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Majestic Alley got back some of its long lost shine today when police officers and residents picked up rakes and wheelbarrows to clean out the alley. And clean they did. Bags and bags of garbage were taken out to be disposed of through a clean-up campaign led by the Belize Police Department and its partner the Belize City Council.

Dezerie Phillips

ACP Dezerie Phillips, Officer Commanding Eastern Division North

“We have actually been out here from around seven o’clock this morning. There were a lot of garbage; not only daily waste disposal but of course there were a lot of trees, overgrown trees, trees that are dead. We realize that especially a certain part over there; there were some areas where we believe criminal elements used to hide drugs, firearms and all of those things so we decided to clear up that area and as you can see it is very clear. But it has been a lot of garbage. We have the back hoe here that has been assisting us to remove the larger items of garbage.”

This area looks like a dump filled with trash, yet families live right around it and children play right next to it. But cleaning and getting rid of trash around the alley is one thing. To maintain it clean means a lifestyle change.

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“We have engaged other partner agencies to come onboard with us because of course the education and the awareness must come and that will be something ongoing. So, while we are cleaning and doing different activities we will also have the education and other things that come with it because it is needed for us to be able to sustain the community.”

And today is a start to do that. Police working side by side with residents isn’t a norm for this particular ‘hot spot’ so what does it mean for the department? Philips says there is an end goal.

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“Even the kids. Everybody woke up this morning and they came and ask us for gloves and they came and ask us for garbage bags and so they are embracing the idea and the opportunity given that they are able to assist themselves to help to clean their community?”

Andrea Polanco

“Do you think that this relationship that you’re forming will perhaps seep into some of the measures that you are putting in place in terms of curbing crime and other such activities in these hot spot areas in the city?”

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“Most definitely; that is the larger plan. As long as we get the community to work with us we engage them some more and they understand what we are doing. They appreciate the work and we appreciate their situation and we do our best to do some referrals and we help them because at the end of the day the mission of the Belize Police Department is to work with all communities to help prevent and reduce crime and of course to improve the quality of life and this is one of the things we are doing to improve the quality of life.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Andrea Polanco.