Local chairman expresses community’s concern

Despite Magaña’s admonitions to his bouncer, it is clear that self-policing of bars and nightclubs is not going to keep out underage patrons. That job will fall to police and the body, which grants bars their licenses to sell booze. Rene Skeen is both the chairman of the Ladyville Village Council and member of the district liquor licensing board.

Rene Skeen, Chairman, Ladyville Village Council

“Yes we are very concerned in the community, and as the present chairman and a member of the liquor licensing board, for the Belize District. We are taking it very seriously. First, I must comment on the part of the chairman. We’re a newly elected council, and one of the first thing we did because of complaints from the community, is we touched base with the Police Department and we asked them to warn the people who are selling liquor to underage children, which is very much a concern, and people who are selling liquor wrongly, meaning that they are some shops who have only shop liquor license and they are using it as a bar, and that’s against the law. What we did, was that we asked the police to take note of it. They did that, warned the people and the next only thing we could say or that we could do, is Village Council and the police working together if we need to revoke license, we need to do it or step down on the law.”

Ann-Marie Williams

“When you look at the bar owners, particularly a place like Raul’s, does it concern you that a fourteen-year-old is being served alcohol?”

Rene Skeen

“Of course it concerns me. Anybody under eighteen is being considered a minor and it concerns me a lot, but I think that’s where the owner of these businesses need to have their security guards out. Because for a fact, I know that area has security guards, so for that guy to slip in, it’s a bit concerning.”

The Belize Liquor Licensing Board, under the chairmanship of Reynaldo Guerrero, met at a special meeting this afternoon to discuss the issue of underage drinking. While the meeting reviewed laws that prohibit minors from patronising bars, it is not certain if any tightening up will be mandated in the future.