Murders Down at 109 With Two Days More To Go in 2022

The year 2022 is only two days away from becoming history, and among the parting thoughts each year for many Belizeans is how we did in terms of crime, particularly murders. For the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Belize Police Department, there’s much to be proud of. Even though there are still a few people who have been reported missing, including Akeem Augustine, who is employed by the Leadership Intervention Unit, the number of actual homicides are considerably lower, compared to 2021. But the rivalry among gangs remains high and is a problem that the Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa is optimistic can be effectively addressed in the coming year, with the aid of the L.I.U. and the continuous work of the police, particularly the community policing unit.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“Crime comes in waves. There are ebbs and flows. We’ve had a few months since August, where it was relatively low and I’m not one to celebrate victories – no doubt the reduction to a hundred and nine murders is a lot less than a hundred and twenty-four last year, and better than the previous years, but at the end of the day, the goal and objective is to have a crime-free Belize. So, the work of the police continues day in, day out. We do have New Year’s coming up this weekend, so we want to encourage all Belizeans not just to look out for yourself and your loved ones but those in your community, your neighbours. I think a huge part of our effort has been community policing, utilizing the community in fighting crime and of course, the L.I.U. as well. That is just one other angle. It has proven to be fairly successful, and we want to be able to improve on that in 2023.”