U.S. Embassy Donates P.P.E.s and ATVs to B.P.D.
The U.S. Embassy made a significant donation of P.P.E.s to the Belize Police Department this morning during a brief handing over ceremony in Belmopan. Those items, along with several vehicles, come at a critical time for the department as it continues to fight crime amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On hand to receive the donation was Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa and Commissioner of Police Chester Williams. Representing the U.S. government was Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Andie De Arment. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
A donation of personal protective equipment, as well as three off-road capable vehicles, was made to the Belize Police Department this morning. The contribution, part of the Central American Regional Security Initiative, CARSI, comes from the U.S. Embassy and will ensure that frontline workers are protected on the job.
Andie De Arment
Andie De Arment, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission
“This comes at a really important time as we’ve seen the third wave here in Belize with COVID infections and it’s going to help to keep frontline workers like the police safe and healthier and so we are really proud to do our part as the U.S. Embassy. In terms of our ATV and UTV donations, that’s worth thirty thousand U.S. dollars and it’s really going to help the police get to remote areas that are normally harder to get to, to track down narco-traffickers and others doing illicit activities.”
At an approximate value of one hundred and twenty thousand U.S. dollars, the assistance reinforces the commitment between the United States and Belize in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to further strengthen the relationship between both countries.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Every three minutes an officer encounters a member of the public and so they must at all times ensure that they are protecting themselves as well as that member of the public that they are interacting with. So the P.P.E.s is certainly a welcomed donation especially at this time when we have the Delta variant and the surge is with the Delta variant.”
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“COVID is already affecting our ranks. Presently, we have about twenty officers who are positive and we have about fifty officers in quarantine, so we are seeing that our numbers are going up again where COVID is concerned. And so, I must say that this donation came very timely in the sense that we will be able to better equip our officers to be able to confront the fight against COVID, as well as to discharge their duties on a daily basis without having to worry too much about contracting the COVID-19 virus because they would have the relevant protective equipment to ensure that they can go home safely to their families.”
The donation of all-terrain vehicles will assist the department in carrying out law enforcement operations in far-flung areas, particularly in the fight against trans-national criminal organizations.
Chester Williams
“In terms of the other equipment, the UTVs and the ATVs, those two vehicular resources will go a long way in our response to incidents across the country, particularly remote areas where we have difficulties using vehicles. These equipment will surely get us to those locations in a more quicker and expedient manner and so we are grateful for these UTVs and ATVs as well.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
