How Far is Too Far in Arresting Minors?
There is outrage over the manner in which members of the Belize Police Department effected the arrest of a teenage minor in Belize City on Wednesday evening. The incident involved five officers manhandling a fifteen-year-old escapee from the Princess Royal Youth Hostel who was being apprehended for return to the facility. But in carrying out the arrest, things got physical fairly quickly and the young girl was punched and choked repeatedly by the officers. The actions of the policemen were deplorable, to say the least, as one of the officers can be heard threatening the female with bodily harm while attempting to place her in handcuffs. Earlier today we sought a position from Chief Executive Officer George Lovell of the Ministry of National Security. He told News Five that he was made aware of the video’s existence on Youtube but has not been briefed on the incident and what led to the teenager being roughed up. While he admits that what he saw was disturbing, the C.E.O. also told News Five that the incident comes on the heels of draft protocols being put together to address these kinds of issues.
On the Phone: (Ret.) Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
“I’m not in a position to really give a point of view from what I saw because what I saw was what was presented to me, what was shown to me by my wife on Youtube and I would be doing an injustice to both our people and the police department if I were to comment on a Youtube clipping that I saw without knowing the circumstances that led into what was shown to me. And so, frankly, I wouldn’t want to comment on that Youtube clipping that I saw. I would want to ask, if it is that you want to hear how the police responded or acted in that incident that you have a conversation with my commissioner, who I am quite certain would be in a position to give you all that you would need to hear in terms of the police’s way in which they handled that particular situation.”
Isani Cayetano
“From a broader perspective, are you aware of any existing protocols in how officers should engage with teenage, either suspects or escapees? Is there a particular rule of engagement as to how that is dealt with?”
On the Phone: (Ret.) Col. George Lovell
“Just recently I had an advisor in my ministry which has been provided to us through the good office of INL and the U.S. State Department and he and our senior police management have been looking at protocols and procedures in dealing with a number of situations which include situations similar to the one that was shown on Youtube and I am quite certain that they have in their possession, as we speak, if it is not yet approved, there is a draft policy on dealing with these types of occurrences.”
