S.P.U. Takes On Special Assignment Cleaning Up Lake-I
As part of a massive citywide cleanup initiative, the Special Patrol Unit was brought in from Belmopan to lend a hand to a community that they are responsible for maintaining law and order. Parts of Lake Independence is still without electricity tonight, but it has not stopped residents from doing their best to beautify the neighborhood. With the help of the S.P.U., they chopped trees down, cleared fallen debris and loaded up trucks full of garbage. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
In Lake Independence this afternoon, a team of police officers attached to the Special Patrol Unit descended on the neighborhood in one fell swoop. But they were not in pursuit of the bad guys, instead they were on a particular assignment to assist as many residents with cleaning up their yards and carting away debris.
Irvin Vernon
Irvin Vernon, Resident, Jasmine Street
“I would say that we got minimal damages, just this shed that we are standing here blew off, the top blew off. The work that the guys are doing, I wouldn’t believe that it would have been so sudden and so fast.”
Equipped with machetes, chainsaws and rakes, the officers are going from street to street, helping with the campaign. Many of them are on stand down from activity duty and have given of their time for community outreach.
Aaron Gamboa
ASP Aaron Gamboa, Officer in Charge, S.P.U.
“Right now we di come from Belmopan. Officers weh deh pan leave and day off, so we come een fi put een some work because I believe this place needs lot of work and da noh only bout police and lockup people, but fi also come and assist them. Protect and serve. So we deh right ya and we di ask anybody who need help, we deh out ya fi assist dehn if any tree drop eena dehn yaad or bruk dehn fence down. So we deh yah fi assist dehn noh and that da weh we cohn do fi todeh.”
Isani Cayetano
“It’s only for today or are you going to be working throughout the weekend?”
Aaron Gamboa
“Ih wahn be todeh and tomorrow. Ih wahn be Friday and Saturday and if we see it fit enough then we wahn come also during the week.”
It’s a good look for the Belize Police Department which has consistently come under scrutiny from the public for the manner in which its officers interact with civilians. Irvin Vernon, a resident of Jasmine Street, is appreciative of the helping hand he’s gotten to remove a tree that fell on his fence during the hurricane.
Irvin Vernon
“I wouldn’t believe that we woulda mih get it cleared out so fast. I mi di expect ih mi wahn be, maybe weeks before we get it done. So we really do appreciate that.”
Isani Cayetano
“This helps to change the perception that the public has about the police department, that they’re not only hear to arrest people and charge people, but they’re also here to do the public or the community outreach that we need.”
Irvin Vernon
“Well for me, I da just wahn ordinary man. We need law, we need law, we need peace, law and order. Without that then we wahn have chaos indeed, so di police dehn di do wahn good job and we really appreciate weh dehn di do.”
The Special Patrol Unit which is stationed at the Mahogany Street Precinct is responsible for Lake Independence. Since coming out here today, several streets have been cleared under ASP Aaron Gamboa’s directive.
Isani Cayetano
“What all areas in Lake Independence have you guys covered so far?”
Aaron Gamboa
“Well, we gaan eena Lakers, I think, your area mi block up with trees and soh, coconut tree and thing. We get wih power saw and we clear the area and now we deh da Tibruce, now we deh da Jasmine now. So we wahn move da other areas and see if anywhere need fi believe that vehicle cyant go through then we wahn sih how best we can do so di vehicles could flow.”
Isani Cayetano for News Five.
