Senator OJ Elrington Opts for More Training Rather Than More Police Officers

Orson “OJ” Elrington

Elrington also spoke about the state of crime. He noted that the Belize Police Department is adding new police officers to its numbers, but said that the government must be held accountable for crime and violence and that proper investments must be made in fighting crime, from law enforcement to the administration of justice at the court level. He also felt that rather than hiring more police officers, there is an urgent need to train the ones that are already in uniforms.

Orson “OJ” Elrington, U.D.P Senator

“What we need is not more boots on the ground. That has never been the solution to fighting crime and violence. There is nothing in this budget to strengthen the investigative skills. When we look at the allocation for training in the Ministry, it is absolutely paltry. There is nothing in this budget to ensure and implement continuous education and training of police officers. It seems as though, regrettably, more so than ever in my lifetime, we find that police officers are – innocent persons are being killed at the hands of police officers. This is a direct correlation for lack of training. Last but not least is this budget does not address one of the most important issues – things that need to be done if you’re going to address crime and violence. You need to ensure that you have a strong, functioning judiciary.”