Chester Williams on Community Policing Efforts
Chester Williams
But the Eastern Division South Region of the Police Department is not fazed by the recent shootings in its jurisdiction. As a part of its continued community policing initiatives, on Sunday, through collaboration with the Mayflower Neighborhood Watch Committee and the Yarborough Community Policing Unit, a sports day was held at the Berger Field on Vernon Street in Belize City. Several teams from the surrounding area competed in various activities including basketball and football. Senior Superintendent Chester Williams spoke of the success of the event and an initiative of having an Eastern Division South Cup Basketball Tournament.
Sr. Supt. Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South
“It was a fun day for kids. They partook in several sporting activities and they were awarded prizes, medals and so forth for different category of sporting events that they partook in on that day in question. I must say that the event was well-attended and there are a number of persons who participated in the different sporting disciplines. So I think it was a success and we will continue to do things like this is in various hotspots because what we want to do is to sow these young people that there is an outlet rather than to being caught up in gangs or criminal activities. So this is one way of us reaching out to young people as well as to the community. And we are currently in the process of planning an Eastern Division South Cup which will see ten teams partaking in basketball competition over a ten weeks period and that event is being sponsored by B.T.L.; they have agreed to sponsor half. We are currently seeking sponsorship for the other half. And once we get sponsorship for the other half of the event, then we are hoping that commencing the first week of January, we can get that off the ground. What we are doing is that we are getting a team from each of the different gang-ridden area. As you recall, earlier on after I came, we had sporting activities in the different hotspots and different persons won different games. So those winning teams, we are now bringing them together and we have one huge competition. That is another way of us reaching out to these young people and show them that we can do things together. And one of the greatest things that we hope to achieve from that is to be able to remove these people from their different turfs and zones and bring them into other areas to compete. So that we can show that you don’t only have to be in this one area, but you are free to go into other areas. So that’s one of the things that we’re trying to promote from that sporting event that we are hoping to commence in January of next year.”
According to Williams, first prize will be one thousand five hundred dollars, second prize, one thousand dollars and third prize seven hundred and fifty dollars. Anyone who would like to assist the department is asked to contact the police department.
