Police Officers Reprimanded for Not Wearing Face Masks

The use of face masks by members of the Belize Police Department is mandatory and, to enforce its compulsory usage, the department has wasted no time reprimanding officers who are found in violation of that order.  That’s because public pressure has forced the Commissioner of Police to act decisively on the matter since the men and women of law enforcement are cracking down on civilians who are found in contravention.  According to ComPol Williams, several officers have been written up.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I would hope that the officers are complying and from what I see when I move around, the officers are wearing their masks.  But again, when I am around and when I am not around are two different things and so people, from time to time, do complain that they would see the officers in different areas without a mask.  Once we get the proof that the officer was out in public without no mask, we do what we need to do.  Our own internal policy clearly stipulates to officers what is expected and even in terms of being inside the police vehicle our policy is that once they are inside the vehicle they must wear a mask and no more than four persons they must be inside the cab of the police vehicle.  All of them must be wearing a mask and the glass for the vehicle must be down.  So I am hoping that our officers comply, yes we have a few officers who were posted on Facebook by some member of the public and these police officers were in public without a mask.  We wrote those officers letters of reprimand in respect to those matters and those letters are copied to their file.  So that is how we proceed once the public send us proof… then we proceed that way.”