UK grant to upgrade Police Department

The Belize Police Department has had its share of criticism over the years, especially after several high profile cases were foiled because of police error. The department changed its name and moved around some officers in high positions as part of the effort to create a new image, especially in the area of professionalism. Today the Police Department got some much-needed finances to foot the bill for the long awaited changes. The Ministry of National Security and Immigration has received a grant of one point seventy-five million Belize dollars for the United Kingdom/Belize Police Strategic Development Project 2000. In February of last year, two senior British law enforcement officers spent six weeks in Belize consulting with Belizean police. They later submitted recommendations to overhaul the department into a modernized body. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and Immigration Alan Usher says most of the grant will be used on training since the recommendations by the UK team focus on basic skills like investigation, prosecution and management. Usher says one highlight of the project is that most of the training will be done using the Belizean expertise already within the department.