Homicide Rate Down in Belize District for 2022

Homicide cases are down for 2022 in the Belize District. When we caught up with Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa this morning in Belmopan, he expressed his condolences to the families of those victims who lost their lives in Thursday night’s deadly shooting in Sandhill Village. Minister Musa also commented on the homicide rate in the Belize District for 2022, which he says has seen a significant decrease compared to previous years. Thursday night’s gruesome triple homicide brings the Belize District murder count for 2022 to fifty. Minister Musa says, with six weeks left before the end of the year, great strides have been made to reduce major crimes in the Belize District.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“I know that this morning we all woke up to very tragic news of the loss of three gentlemen in Sandhill. So, we extend our condolences to the families of those three gentlemen. The Commissioner of Police is actually on the ground right now, and that is why he is not here with us today. He found it extremely important to hit the ground in Sandhill to do our very best to solve this heinous and tragic crime. But, looking at the statistics as I was mentioning, when you compare to 2018, we had for 2018 some ninety-eight murders in the Belize District alone. But, when you look at 2022, prior to these murders, it was forty-seven. So that will take it up to fifty. But, that is fifty percent reduction. I do understand we have a full month and ten days left in the rest of the year, but you can already see impact that the Leadership Intervention Unit has been having in the lives, especially of the young men on the Southside of Belize City, in terms of intervening, resolving situations, resolving disputes, and at the same time offering them educational opportunities, both in the academics, and well as training. I believe on Monday Mr. Dawson will be having the launch of the training of one hundred of our young men at the Tubal Institute which is a remarkable opportunity for these young men to gain training in air condition repairs and activities and training sessions, so that is something we are looking forward to.”