Chester Lobbies for Power to Terminate Rogue Cops

Chester Williams

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is lobbying for authority to summarily dismiss officers within the department who are found guilty of abusing their powers.  It is a proposal that was initially pitched to the previous administration to avoid the tedium of having to go through a lengthy process in order to deal with rogue cops.  ComPol Williams explains why such powers would be beneficial to the Belize Police Department.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I have proposed to the previous government and I am proposing now to the new government for us to be able to amend the police act to give the Commissioner of Police the power to dismiss summarily any police officer who commits an egregious breach of discipline, an act that brings the integrity or the trust and confidence of the police department into question.  And yes, there are several legal things that we must look at in terms of natural justice, but natural justice does not always mean to have a trial.  Natural justice simply means to afford the person an opportunity to be heard.  An opportunity to be heard can be by way of writing.  You write the person, ask them why it is that they must explain the action and why it is that they should not be dismissed and when they reply you take into consideration their response.  And if it is that you the decision maker should find that the response is not justified then you can dismiss them summarily.  So we want to be able to do things and that way every police officer will be held accountable for their actions and they will think twice before they go and do some act that will bring the department into question.”