GSU & Anti Gang Task Force Disbanded!

The Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) and the Anti-Gang Task Force have been disbanded. This decision has given birth to the Gang Intelligence, Investigation, and Interdiction Unit (GI3), which will be under the command of Senior Superintendent of Police Linden Flowers. The Belize Police Department has also informed of the establishment of Region Four in Eastern Division. These decisions will come in effect tomorrow, January first. The new Region four will be comprised of all that area which currently falls under the responsibility of the Coastal Executive Officer. The Commander for Eastern Division-Region Four will be Superintendent Christopher Noble and because of this change, Assistant Superintendent Basil Reyes will assume the post of Officer Commanding the San Pedro Police Station. As for the G.S.U., in mid-November, Commissioner Chester Williams explained the decision to disband that specialized task force.

[File: November 17, 2020] Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

Chester Williams

“In terms of the Gang Suppression Unit, I have expressed to the minister and to cabinet yesterday that as the commissioner, the name GSU has indeed left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Belizeans and it is time that we look at the unit and do a re-branding.  Now do we need such a unit?  The answer is yes, we do need it but we must look at how we can refocus or redirect what GSU does.  And after we do the re-branding we will insert a commander who will be able to fashion that new direction that we want the GSU to go.  I believe that once we do that then we should be on good footing in terms of the public seeing that there is the move on the part of the police government to be able to ensure that every citizen is treated with respect by the police.  Now that does not mean that it will stop police brutality.  Police brutality will continue until you and I are gone, but the important thing is that whenever it manifests itself we must be able to take appropriate action so that the public can see that we are not covering whatever wrongdoing our officers are doing out on the streets.”