Sting Operations on George and Antelope Streets Yield Drugs and Firearms

The first two shootings on south side Belize City, it would appear, prompted a swift reaction from Eastern Division South and this morning between three a.m. and ten a.m., a joint police operation comprising of the Mobile Interdiction Team, the Special Patrol Unit and the Gang Suppression Unit rolled out in the George and Antelope Streets areas. The operation led to the discovery of a nine millimeter Lugar brand firearm with live rounds and up to five hundred grams of cannabis and cocaine. Over a dozen persons from the George Street area, including the suspects of Saturday’s shootings, were also taken into custody. Interestingly, the operation also comes ten days after an organized meet and greet session with residents in the area. Williams says that the tough side of police is still being felt.

Chester Williams

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“In response to the increase of shootings across Belize City, south side Belize City in particular, this morning, we had an operation in the George Street area. We had elements from the MIT, the GSU and the Special Patrol Units. That operation was sanctioned by myself and it is a part of the effort that we have been doing on south side Belize City whereby we have said that we will work with the persons who work with us and those who do not want to work and want to continue to perpetuate criminal acts, we will deal with them the hard way. So George Street was the recipient of the tough style of policing this morning. We went in there with full force this morning and we have a number of persons from George Street detained in custody. During that operation, we were able to apprehend the person who did the shooting involving Mister Debride and we also apprehended another person who did another shooting. In addition to those persons we detained for two separate shootings, we also confiscated one firearm and over five hundred kilograms of cannabis. So we believe that the operation was a success and we will continue to do things like that, targeting persons who continue to perpetuate criminal acts…to let them know that while we have the soft side of policing, the tough side of police still do exist.”

Reporter

“Can you say how many of people have been detained? And how many of those are expected to be charged?”

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

“Over a dozen have been detained at least about eight with be charged; that includes the two who will be charged for two separate shootings. Whenever we have mediations or interventions with those persons who are already caught up in the criminal justice system, we would normally have them done here and not necessarily out there in the streets. So it is not necessarily the breaking down of any communication between ourselves and those persons out there. And the reason why we descended on George Street today is because over the past three weeks, every shooting that we have had on south side Belize City came from the George Street area. And those persons from George Street who are involved in criminal activities and out there shooting at people who are trying to make a difference in their lives, then we cannot tolerate that. And like I have said before, once that happens, we will come and we will come at you with full force and that was exactly what we did this morning.”