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Aug 1, 2023

Amid Public Outcry, ComPol Says SOE Targeted Specific Individuals

A state of emergency was declared in three Belize City neighborhoods on Friday, bringing to a halt an unrelenting spate of gun violence that claimed as many as five lives.  During the predawn operation, specific individuals believed to be actively involved in the ongoing feud were rounded up and incarcerated for an initial period of thirty days.  Since then, the Belize Police Department has issued wanted posters for others who may have absconded.  Nonetheless, the families of several of these young men have turned to the media with complaints that the sweep at the start of the extended weekend was indiscriminate.  Commissioner of Police Chester Williams refutes those allegations.

 

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We have detained some of them, yes, and they should be transported to prison today and there are still some more who are being sought.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“A woman stopped by our studio to complain, then, that police raided her house under the belief that there was a gang member there.  But she says that there was no gang member.  It happens, the complaints happen naturally whenever there’s an SOE.  Any comments to that?”

 

Chester Williams

“What can I comment about?”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“I mean if police just go raid anybody’s house because you live in a specific area.”

 

Chester Williams

“It’s not just anybody’s house the police goes and raids, if not they would have gone to your house, [but] they didn’t go there…”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“I am saying that because this lady lives in the SOE’s cordoned area, she is saying that she doesn’t have anything to hide.”

 

Chester Williams

“I am sure that there are many other people who live within the SOE area and the police didn’t go to their homes.  The police must have had some information that took them there.”


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