Senior Officer Bart Jones Called to the Bar; He is Legal Advisor to Police Department

The Belize Police Department welcomes another attorney into its ranks.  This morning, well-known officer Bart Jones was officially called to the bar.  Jones, who has diligently worked his way up within the hierarchy of the law enforcement agency, joins Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams as inductees of the Bar Association of Belize.  In a ceremonial session held in the chamber of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, an audience of Jones’ family and friends, as well as colleagues from the legal fraternity and the police department, was present as he was sworn-in.

Sr. Supt. Bart Jones, Attorney-at-Law

“I am currently the legal officer for the department and whereas I might not be in the spotlight I continue to do my best in any way I can to guide police officers, to assist as much as possible to advance the law.”

Reporter

“Okay, so how does your office work alongside or work in concert with the D.P.P.’s office because we know that ultimately when charges are to be brought etc… the decision, we are told, is usually or should be made by the D.P.P.?”

Bart Jones

Sr. Supt. Bart Jones

“Well, certainly in relation to criminal matters the D.P.P. has the constitutional responsibility or constitutional role for which the police cannot question.  But my role is to assist police officers to prepare better files before it goes to the D.P.P.”

Reporter

“You know, there is so much police and legal work that needs to be done in order to upgrade the level of prosecutions, what ultimately goes to court.  Is there the organization within the department which has usually, historically been about organizing persons for patrol and the interdiction of crime?  Is there the culture within the department to engender the type of legal precision that you and others who are lawyers now want to try and bring?”

Sr. Supt. Bart Jones

“Yes, there has been that and we continue to do that.  As I said, a lot of the work that we have been doing has been behind the scenes but we continue to ensure that we improve the system.  We have been in in-service training sessions that I have done since I came back and we continue to do that so as to improve the police officers overall.”

Reporter

“So now do you see yourself continuing to work, after you served out your bond, as a lawyer in the police department knowing that right now, fu be real, unu noh di get paid fu be wahn lawyer.  Yoh di get paid as a police man.”

Sr. Supt. Bart Jones

“Yes Jules, but my thing is that bond aside, my commitment is to continue to serve until reaching the retirement age.  As I said before, I am grateful for the financial [assistance] though it did not cover all the expenses associated with my training.  I got financial assistance, I was on study leave with eighty percent of my salary, so I must, the conscience is within me to continue to serve the department and the country on a whole.”