Police Association President Vs Commissioner of Police

There are internal issues brewing at the Belize Police Department. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is bucking heads with the President of the Police Association. This is because President, Corporal Eldon Arzu, doesn’t agree with the new commissioner’s take on the tenure of the association’s president. Williams wants to limit the term of the presidency to two years. So, Arzu has started legal proceedings to file an injunction in the Supreme Court. Today, Commissioner Williams explained why he has taken this position with the association and he says he is within his rights as the commissioner to ask more of his officers.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“That Statutory Instrument was drafted before I became Commissioner but it just so happened that it was completed after I had taken over as Commissioner, so as the new commissioner, I signed it.  I have no issue with the new instrument for the simple fact that when you are the chairman of the police association, the previous commissioner had given some degree of privilege to the chairman in that he doesn’t do police work, he focuses on police association business. And so that officer would be removed from policing and to have an officer to be doing that for more than two years, you are doing a disservice to him in terms of his professional development and promotability.  So, in order to see how we can strike a balance, where you serve as the president for two years and come back into core policing that you can continue to develop yourself, I see that being the reason for the instrument and I see no problem with it. Corporal Arzu needs to understand that he is a police officer and he is subject to the commissioner of police. The Police Act clearly states that the association works for the Commissioner of Police and advises the commissioner on welfare issues other than promotions and transfer. The previous commissioner had given Corporal Arzu some directives. Corporal Arzu has refused to comply with the previous commissioner’s directives. Well, I am going to say to him, I am a different person. I am not going to allow any member of this department to believe that they are bigger than this department because none of us are, not even me.”