Residents allege police brutality

Another week, another allegation of brutality at the hands of the police. According to Belize City resident Glenroy Rocke, when the police arrived at number eight T Street, only his wife, Yvonne and his fifteen year-old daughter, Zetora, were at home. Rocke alleges that the police used unnecessary force to gain access into his house.

Glenroy Rocke, Complainant

“The police enter inna mi place, come inna mi shop, carry one of mi machete, carry the dog them in the house, rumple and dirty up the bed. I really noh like this, cause I just come from New York and it gwine for three weeks. I noh sell no drugs, I noh sell no cocaine, no gun noh deh with me.”

“I coulda want the police bring back my machete, cause that’s what I missing, and one and two lee change weh I noh know how much they ker. This dah a policeman do me this, second time.”

G. Michael Reid, Police Press Officer

“It was a perfectly legal search. There was one person at home, who hesitated for quite some time before allowing the police inside. According to the reports from the police officers, in fact, no door was broken down or any such thing. In fact, there was a search; it did involve a dog, as is the case when we carry along a drug sniffing dog. And this dog did sniff around. The fact is that nothing was found.”

“I spoke to the police officers personally and I money was taken from that establishment and he’s talking about a machete. As far as I understand, it has not been ascertained whether a machete was taken from the premises. If it was, then that machete will be returned.”

Rocke did admit to News 5 that he had pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking charge in February of this year and was later fined for the offence.