Anti-Crime Organization Plans for Citizen Security

Mary Vasquez

A key part of today’s discussion was the seeming lack of coordination between public and private sector in addressing the crime and youth issues in Belize City and elsewhere. Many hands have pitched in with assistance, but as RESTORE Belize director Mary Vasquez notes, their motives and outcomes are murkier to discern. Nonetheless, the organization established eight years ago in June, intends to seek a modicum of cooperation among all the interests in the crime fight.

Mary Vasquez, Director, RESTORE Belize

“We took this opportunity to elaborate on one approach to address a specific part of the solution. But the solution is much bigger than that. So our strategy for this year is to create a citizen security plan which builds on all the thought-out and well-prepared plans that we have for Belize, but then just lends a citizen security focus to it. And within that, again, as many times as we have to go back to the drawing board and address it, to focus on coordination mechanism that allow us to be more efficient and effective in government investments, and also having a harmonized approach that is based on a common understanding of what are the roots of the problem, and therefore where the solutions lie.  I wouldn’t want to say what is our biggest challenge because there are so many, but getting people to coordinate and not just give lip service is a huge challenge. And that is not something that any one individual or any one agency can do or can make happen; that is something that people have to agree to. And the truth is, like any relationship – because coordination is based on relationships – it has to be renewed; it’s something you have to work on every single day, every week. So, again, we wheel and come again.”