Prison Inmates Clean Up Roaring Creek

Howell Gillett

An overgrown area of Roaring Creek Village, often used by criminals to escape the reach of local authorities, has been cleared by Belmopan police.  After a recent shooting incident during which the suspect evaded capture, Superintendent Howell Gillett wasted no time in organizing a task force of inmates from the Belize Central Prison to spearhead the cleanup.  Earlier today, a gang of men labored to clear the two-acre parcel in an effort to beautify the community, but most importantly to preserve the safety of its residents.

Supt. Howell Gillett, O.C., Belmopan Police Formation

“Recently, I think it was on the weekend, we had a shooting and just as in previous cases we saw that the culprits took this area to our left as a hiding ground.  Whenever a shooting took place they would run into this area and elude the police.  We saw the need to clear this area because strategically we believe that it would help.  We did an assessment and two things were affecting this area why we had the shootings: one is light.  We are already addressing that.  And two was the really overgrown area.  I understand that the owner is not here.  Just this morning, somebody asked me, somebody said, why are the police bringing in people to clear?  Why not the owner of the land?  Well while that debate goes on the police has to do something because we want the fear of crime to be lowered and we want crime itself to be lowered.  So I have a lot of people to thank but I will get to the partners, who in a very short time assisted us.  First, the C.E.O. of prison, Mr. Murillo didn’t take long.  As a matter of fact, I went to the media saying that he would help us with some twenty-odd inmates to be here today and he did come through so I’m grateful for that.  And also the Mayor of Belmopan Mr. Khalid Belisle, even though this is not his jurisdiction as it relates to the city council.  He offered us all the food for these guys today, as well as drinks. So we’re so happy for that collaborative effort by Mr. Belisle and Mr. Murillo.”