No Bonus for the Belize Police Department

Chester Williams

And in another story involving the Belize Police Department, talk of a sixty-four dollar bonus being awarded to the men and women in uniform has been spreading like wildfire, not for the so-called act of kindness, but for the meager sum that will reportedly be shared among the officers.  As it stands, there is no truth to the information that has been published elsewhere in the media.  In fact, there has not been a time when the department has received any unexpected extras, as it is not the practice of the government.  When asked about the paltry bonus, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said he was completely unaware of such an initiative.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I saw that information on Hot Off the Press.  I am not aware of that, I have not had any discussions with my minister, the Prime Minister, the Fin Sec, or the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance in respect to any proposed bonus for police.  It is not something that is done in the history of police where police officers are given bonuses at the end of the year.  So I am thinking that Hot Off the Press is going to be the one to issue this bonus, so I will be proceeding there to get my bonus from them. The amount of police officers we have, it is going to be difficult.  What we try to do is to see we can, sometime in the new year, to facilitate for officers to have a get-together.  A little, we normally call it Christmas in June party because, truth be told, we can’t have Christmas party around this time.  While everybody is celebrating, we have to be working.  So what is being done now, you find that most of the units and the head stations are doing a Christmas luncheon which I endorse and next year, then we do a Christmas party for them and that’s what we’re going to do.”