Police Ride the Roads with New Motorbikes

The Police Department has received six motorcycles to bolster its fight against crime, primarily in the Belize District. The generous donation came from Offshore Solutions at the request of the former Regional Commander for the Rural Eastern Division, Assistant Commissioner Edward Broaster, who was present at today’s event. Broaster says the motorbikes will get the police to places fast and easy.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.    

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The Belize Police Department is expanding its mobility with a fleet of six new motorcycles.  This morning, businessman Glen Wilson presented the keys to the Lifan bikes, as well as titles and other paperwork to Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie.

Glen Wilson

Glen Wilson, Managing Director, Offshore Solutions

“My partner Jordana Frutos and myself have set up this foundation whereby we are trying to help the community, the community at large, not just Belize City, not just Ladyville where we live, not just San Pedro where we have lived, but the whole country.  We’re trying to help so that the infrastructure can work, hence the motorbikes, so that they can get to areas where vehicles can’t get to.  And I know that they do foot patrols in Ladyville, and frankly foot patrols here are not very effective, so the motorbikes will help them.”

Seeking the generous donation was an initiative undertaken by Assistant Commissioner of Police Edward Broaster, who, at the time of the request, was the Officer Commanding Rural Eastern Division.

Edward Broaster

ACP Edward Broaster, Commander of Operations

“This agreement was made prior to my posting to Commander of Operations.  The public/private partnership that we have garnered over the years is only growing to be more positive and I hope to extend that public/private cooperation throughout the country as Commander of Operations.”

For Wilson, who has been operating in the offshore sector since 1997, the contribution is part of a broader program to aid in the development of the country through education, policing and civic pride.

Glen Wilson

“We also undertake other projects such as food packages for the underprivileged.  We offer two educational scholarships a year to families that can’t afford the fees, for bright children, ‘A’ students.  We’re working on other projects as well, such as helping to clean up villages, getting volunteers.  We’ve already purchased equipment to do Ladyville and hopefully they should be starting today or tomorrow on that one.”

ACP Broaster explains the distribution of the donation.  He says that the motorcycles will aid the police in getting to remote locations, primarily in the Belize District.

ACP Edward Broaster

“Well this donation made by Mr. Glen Wilson, we will be posting three of the motorcycles in the Rural Eastern Division area and the other three motorcycles will be posted in the Belmopan, Cayo District area.”

Isani Cayetano

“How does this help in terms of mobility within, say for instance, the Rural Eastern jurisdiction?”

ACP Edward Broaster

“Well it helps significantly in the Rural Eastern Division because there’s a lot of rural areas to cover off-road; terrain where vehicles cannot go of course the motorcycles will be able to go.  So this will come in significantly for those substations in the Rural Eastern Division, like Maskall, Bermudian Landing and other areas that they will be put.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.