Police receive new equipment

The Police Department has received equipment worth over four hundred thousand dollars to assist in fighting crime. A large part of the investment includes communications equipment and motorcycles to increase police response time as well as their presence within the community. This morning Minister of National Security, Jorge Espat, handed over the supplies to officers at the Queen Street Police Station in Belize City.

Jorge Espat, Minister of National Security

“We are hoping that the motorcycles will be used in the community policing section of the Police Department. We also made a significant investment in radios, one hundred and fifty hand held radios. And again we invested significantly in acquiring I believe twenty-five antennas and mobile antennas and stationary antennas. Again we’re hoping that we’ll have more effective communication with the stations and the vehicles, with citizens and the police. As well as with an acquired almost four hundred raincoats.”

Hughington Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The distribution will be to all formations, district formations as well as to the branches within Belize City in particular that need the motorcycles to move around from time to time. I’m looking expressly on the ZBLO, Zone Beat Liaison Officers, who meet with members of the public, work in specific areas and may need to respond to members of the public for domestic calls.”

Jorge Espat

“It’s an investment both for the welfare of the police officers as well for the Belize Police Department. We’re hoping that we’ll be ending years of neglect and obviously we’re trying to reverse the Police Department that was ill equipped and ill trained and we hope that this is going to continue in the crime fighting effort.”