Mayor Beefs Up Security; Police Not On Call

Khalid Belisle

Monday night’s shooting in Cohune Walk happened less than a hundred feet away from a police booth at the entrance of the community.  That checkpoint, according to Mayor Belisle, has been out of operation and is in need of urgent repair.  While those works are pending, he is focusing tonight on beefing up security at his home in the immediate aftermath of the incident.  This afternoon, an overgrown lot facing his property was being cleared and estimates to install surveillance equipment were also being reviewed.

Khalid Belisle, Belmopan Mayor

“Security concerns, of course, [are] now through the roof.  Not even so much for my own wellbeing, but I mean I have people around me on a constant basis due to the nature of the job.  I’m about to start my own family in a couple weeks and so their security and their safety is first and foremost for me at this point in time.”

Isani Cayetano

“Mayor Belisle, I hate to point out the obvious, there is a police booth less than a hundred feet away from your property.  What’s the status of that security booth at the entrance of this community?”

Khalid Belisle

“It’s not manned on a permanent basis at this point in time.  I believe there is a community policing officer assigned to it.  I do see him in the neighborhood from time to time but to say that there’s a police presence there twenty-four hours a day or even in the nighttime hours is just not possible at this point in time, based on what I am told out of headquarters here in Belmopan because of the manpower issue, particularly with the resources now devoted to Belize City.  It’s a bit of maybe a jolt or a push, but our councilor Mr. Galvez has actually found a businessman who is willing to work towards restoring the booth, as well as seeing how we can have it manned.  It didn’t happen in time to prevent this incident, so it might seem reactionary when the booth is reopened, but a plan has been in place at least for two weeks now to get that booth up and running again.”

Isani Cayetano

“I also observe that perhaps in the immediate aftermath of last night’s event, they are bushing the overgrown property across from you.  Do you believe that that may have posed a threat in terms of people coming onto this street in the dead of night where there is poor lighting?”

Khalid Belisle

“I can’t say that that particular field that you pointed would have contributed to the situation because it’s really not that high.  It’s really not that high.  I’ve bragged and boasted, to be quite honest Isani, about the safety of Belmopan to my friends who aren’t from the city and so maybe there was an element of that involved there.  I still think, I still maintain that Belmopan is a safe community in which to live.  But certainly in terms of my personal security at the premises at which I live, I owe it to others around me, not even so much myself, but definitely to those people that I love and care about to make sure that it’s as secure as I can possibly make it for them.”