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Mar 31, 2010

Well known UDP and PUP attorneys say real solutions to crime needed

Well known U.D.P. and PUP attorneys say real solutions to crime needed

The brazen daylight shootings in front of Holy Redeemer Primary School in Belize City and at the Scotia Bank in Spanish Lookout is signaling a nation under siege. Both incidents occurred near police stations, indicating that gun toting criminals no longer seek the cover of darkness, or stay away from cameras that can record their theft of valuables and of life.  After yesterday’s violence in Spanish Lookout, the chairman of the village signaled the possibility that the bank may need to screen its customers.  But coupled with the talk of screening on the island of San Pedro, the solutions all seem to lean towards a police state mentality.  But is that the only solution? According to a group of lawyers and professionals who are organizing to speak against the ills of society, there has to be other solutions.  Well known PUP and UDP attorneys Arthur Saldivar and Hubert Elrington say that perhaps the current leaders need to step down.

Allen Reimer, Chairperson, Spanish Lookout Community

“The robbers took hostage somebody and took his vehicle, very very similar to what happened last Friday.  So far, we believe it’s the same crew.  Last Friday it was a failed attempted.  This morning it worked. We want to be open to all possible customers and yet we want to screen them if we could but we definitely will be contemplating more. What options we have and how we can implement them for the security of our customers?”

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney

“ I don’t see this as having similarity to the statement made by honorable Heredia. Let me start off by establishing that. I see this more as a sign of desperation from a concerned citizen who is saying the country ravaged by incidents of crime and violent crime in particular. Spanish Lookout as you know is one of the more industrialized parts of the country burgeoning with many economic activities and for this to take place there. In light of what has transpired, simply shows the level of impotence that the government of the day is exhibiting.”

Jose Sanchez

“Mr. Elrington, what should be the country’s reponse, the people’s response, the politicians’ response?

Hubert Elrington, Attorney

“The first duty of the Prime Minister and the members of the national assembly, the elected representatives of the people is to demonstrate the capacity that they have the capacity to protect the people of the country. This incident and other incidences that have occurred over the past two months, including the shootout on North Front Street, is tending to show over and over that this government lacks the basic capacity to protect the people of Belize. The lack the capacity to protect the Nation of Belize.  If we are of the opinion as a people that this government lacks the capacity to protect us, to give us proper security, it is our duty to call upon them to resign. This is a very serious matter. I see this not as an isolated incident but as an escalation of the series of incidences, that have been occurring which are  saying this Barrow government, this UDP government which I helped to elect, and I am not going out there to vote for the PUP. I am a UDP, but this government is totally incapable of giving us the kind of security and protection that this country needs and has to have. So whatever we have to do to organize the citizenry and get our people aware of what is going on, that is what we are going to do. This must be brought to an end, and it must be brought to an end and must be brought to an end quickly. This is the kind of idiocy at the Prime Minister’s office and the Minister of Internal Affair’s office that is not going to be

tolerated. This kind of idiocy has to stop.”


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23 Responses for “Well known UDP and PUP attorneys say real solutions to crime needed”

  1. Better Belize says:

    that is the way to go Belize! Let put aside the political party ideology and unite as a country to tackle issue affecting the Jewel…We Belizeans are all responsible for socioeconomic development of Belize!!! I congratulate both the PUP and UDP attorney to stand up together for a good cause…

    BELIZEAN, I ENCOURAGE YOU THAT FOR NEXT ELECTIONS, DO NOT VOTE FOR A POLITICAL PARTY, VOTE FOR THE PERSON; THAT WILL BETTER REPRESENT YOU AND WORK FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF BELIZE. consider the qualification and qualities of the candidate and not vote because of colors…MAY GOD BLESS BELIZE

  2. Maddy vandijk says:

    The crimes in Belize have been an ongoing thing for many years, how many robberies and murders happened on a monthly base within the city itself?

    If the crime rate was of any interest to any of the political parties something dramatic would have happened by now, Today, all the people of Belize can expect from the politicians is more talking, and more staling on the subject and action towards lowering the crime rates, the crimes are only a fraction of the problem of what is wrong with Belize today.

    Hubert Elrington and Saldivar did not have to wait until the Spanish lookout incident to come and say that certain people should step down because they are not doing a good job, the last party did not do anything about the crimes back then either and that is a fact. These initiatives are important but I know perfectly well that they are not enough.

    What Belize need right now are outsiders, experts recognized experts, with unquestionable skills, to help countries like Belize make progress in this direction.

    The Belize politician’s preference has always been to pretend that there are no poor people in Belize, and if there are, it’s probably their fault anyway.

  3. Redbwai says:

    Yap, I couldn’t have said it any better Mr. Elrington. The UDP either needs to step up to find a solution to the crime situation or step down, plain and simple. I heard a caller on the radio the other morning saying that we have the laws but the isn’t government implimenting them. Why isn’t the death penality being enforced? is it because of the human rights thing? is it because we need permisson from her majesty the queen? is it because the can’t build a gallow? is it because it’s not humane? is it because we live in a modern day and time? why? why? why?……Just do it like they used to do in the olden days…..hang them high and pop their necks for all to see. People will get the point then and crime would ease especially the rampant killings. I say we enforce the capital punishment…the law abiding citizens of Belize are crying for something drastic to be done to curb the crime problem and it must be done asap.

  4. Zig Zag says:

    Elrington is on dat BS>>> i agree yes, dat there is a lil more d govt can do to assist d country in d ongoing activities, bt do remember, dat dis all started wit d PUP! They r d ones who squandered the finance and d countries assets away, thus having d following party coming in and hav to take certain actions. I tink Mr. Barrow is trying his best, revealing everyting to the public wid out any tyoe of concealment, and dats wat i lyk about him. He has d ….. 2 face his country n let dem knw d situation……He’s a TRU MAN!!!

  5. Common Sense says:

    Agree Redbwai…..but the lingering doubt remains – do you trust the system to hang the correct ones? They cant even convict at the moment…..”beyond reasonable doubt”, if you have enough money you can purchase enough “reasonable doubt” to go free! The only ones to be hanged would be the poor and unfortunate.
    Before my comments are made as an attack on the judiciary – it isn’t, the judiciary only act within the powers provided by Parliament. The blame always comes back to the Executive, and Elrington seems to be correct again!

  6. Maddy vandijk says:

    We do not live in the Anglo-Saxon times, when death by hanging was the principal form of execution, so we can stop screaming “Hang the criminals”, it will not happened again, England will not give us the “OK”.

    We might get some satisfaction from hanging the b…. by their necks in public, and If they are hung they will not get another opportunity kill again. The tax payers will not have to provide them a place to stay either. Hanging is the cheapest way to go, really, yet it is a very tricky situation.

    Just imagine Belize get the “ok” from England, imagine how many innocent people will become victims of this law, it could be you.

  7. SO DISAPPOINTED says:

    I am so sick of all the talk talk talk in Belize when will someone realize talking alone does not solve problems, The crime is not going to go away with talk, the Politicians are well protected so they could care less what is happening to the citizens it obviously does not affect them in anyway. They have security for their homes, they have police protection when they are out and about and they spend more time abroad than in Belize and when it gets too much they have enough money to get away and live somewhere else. They do not walk Albert street when was the last time you saw Musa or Dean Barrow walking Albert street to shop or stand in line at a bank, these are things they do not have to deal with.
    As far as the judiciary system in Belize well that is a big joke, you can identify the criminal and catch them with you items but if you cannot memorize the serial number on all your items then you still cannot prove that it is your item and they are the crooks that robbed your home….who spend their life memorizing serial numbers on their items Magistrate? As far as the murderers where are they getting all these guns if they are so poor and jobless how do they get money to buy guns but no food think about it. Belize right now is HELL ON EARTH and the people have no heart I am so disappointed in my birthplace.

  8. william frida says:

    the crime wave in Belize is a direct correlation between unemployment and corruption Belize was not like this only 12 years ago.There are more kids born without fathers,no social programs to steem children and teenagers from wondering the street.why corruption?well case and point the deputy prime ministers brother has the sole license to import most of the products from Mexico
    running all kinds of “ROCKET” at the border,other importers were just taken out of busniess
    they also now have the license to export most of the timber out of Belize,any society where the politicians take care of them selves and not the people they were elected to represent will always have a back lash at the end.

  9. Reduce Speding, dont increase tax says:

    I applaud the efforts of both Mr. Elrington and Mr. Saldivar. We need men like this in government so that Belize can move forward. Better Belize, you got the nail on the head. We continue to vote for the color and fail to see the ignorant and coniving politicians we vote for only because they are in our party. Zig Zag, Mr. Barrow has not proven himself. In fact, with the Police Budget sliced, he seems to be walking backward, crime is rising which common sense would indicate that the budget should rise to allow more initiatives from law enforcement officers to curb crime.

    I really hope more people with sense like Mr. Aurthur Saldivar and Mr. Hubert Elrington would step up to run this country. Stand up and represent Belize!

  10. Fustrated Belizean says:

    I am from the old school in Belize where someone does a crime they pay for that crime by hanging. I remember when anyone could walk the streets without fear for their lives but England was in charge back then. Belize has hang before, what is keeping us back from capital punishment ???? Laws need to be pass where killers are place on death row and get a chance to appeal their case so we wouldn’t hang the wrong person for a crime they didn’t commit. I don’t understand how would any one of the people in power feel if someone kill their son or rob or rape their wife. Would they them do something about crimes in Belize. How come everyone seems to have a gun in Belize where are these guns coming from?? If crimals are protected by people in power we will never seem crime reduce in Belize. I agreed that both party needs to continue to talk and really see what could be done about crimes in Belize, because when it hit home to those in power it might be too late to do something about the problem.

  11. macal rivera says:

    the real problem is not the government the problem is the lawyers like Saldivar and Erlington who hurry take up most cases for MONEY and what we see is the criminals walking away free again and the cycle of crime continues, sometimes I wonder if these lawyers sleep good at night maybe yes cause they have no fear of God, why the heck they never say years ago step down PUP when all those little girls were killed and mutilated, rape and only God knows what else they did, this crime situation is not only since two years ago, this has been happening for years now, yes it is worse now, but have you ever wonder that their might be someone out there instigating all this so the present government can look bad! HMMM where do all these guns come from HMMM who give this men all the gunsHMMM some of this young men have more guns than food HMMM where does it comes from? THINK THINK,

  12. Scuba mom says:

    Mr. Elrington and Mr. Saldivar brought up an excellent point, Barrow needs to step up and do something. Maybe next election Mr. Elrington and Mr. Saldivar should form their own party and run those incompetent fools, form a party that can compete and have a representative in each electoral division

  13. Love for one another says:

    times are not getting betta. and it doesn’t matta which color we vote for none will help. One thing i hate is that everytime they have the house hearing, all they do is talk, talk and talk about the pass, of what they didn’t do. its time to stop critizing one another but come together and talk solutions for the betterment of the people. i wonder if these politicians don’t get scared of what is happening. raising of taxes again will only create more crime. Police killing police, hurting and killing innocent people. These type of people should be put aside. Trained people with senses. they are suppose to protect us but they are abusing the law. Some of these officers are so grumpy especially at nite time. I think that if the budget is being cut to also cut the wages of those officers who committing these crimes thats fine with me, but to cut it to get worst , wow!what are we supose to expect.?
    Something is wrong! We will not get betta, So we need to turn to God he is the only solution!
    for all the ministers in power, for those that want to be in power and for the entire nation. We are coming to an end and the bible says the hearts of men will wax cold in the last days.

  14. Alvira Clark says:

    Interesting, Shyne gets 204 comments. WHY IS THE NONSENSE OF MAKING NOISE SO IMPORTANT TO BELIZEANS? WHY THE BIG INTEREST IN TAKING A RIDE ON THE BACK OF ANOTHER PERSON?

    A response that takes an EDUCATION to undrstand gets VERY LITTLE ATTENTION.

    WHY ARE WHAT APPEARS TO BE STREET CRIMES OVER LOOKED. JUST HOW MANY UNSOLVED MURDERS HAS HAPPENED IN BLEIZE SINCE THE COUNTRY BECAME INDEPENDANT? HOW MANY OF THESE MURDERS HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT OF COURT BECAUSE OF INTIMIDATIONS? GET THE RECORDS UP FRONT AND UP TO DATE THEN TELL THE WORLD WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN BELIZE. GET THE EDUCATED PEOPLE THAT REALLY CARE UP FRONT AND HELP THEM!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, WHY? DO YOU HAVE A FEW WELL EDUCATED ROBBERS? IS OUTSIDE MONEY TAKING OVER YOUR COUNTRY? ARE THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COUNTRY ROBBING ALL THEY CAN GET? FIRST QUESTION, WHAT IS WRONG WITH BELIZE? EDUCATED GUESS?

  15. John Boy/Carson, California says:

    No civilized country hang people.Deal with the root of the problem.Where you have poverty you will have crime.We need leaders who are pro-active,leaders who are not corrupted.We need teachers that are trained to handle children that comes to school from poor broken homes with a lot of social issues.Beating kids, and hanging people is not the answer.As long as you have a system that cerates criminals they will keep coming.One other thing if you only deal with the criminals at the bottom and do not touch the ones at the top crime will never stop.These kids are not bringing the guns , and drugs into Belize.These are your kids Belize.You created them.They are not aliens from outter space.Today in Belize we are reaping the fruits of seeds that was planted along time ago.A lot of us had to leave Belize to live in exile in other countrys.That was the only way out of proverty, or maybe we would be just like these kids.

  16. E. M. Siddiqui says:

    Sign of the times, Leadership Crisis in the Land! Crime out of control, criminals are becoming more bold and brazen. No one is safe all Belizeans are vulnerable, Wake up Belizeans, Rise up! Barrow, Perdomo & Jeffries must go!

  17. EL GUARDIAN says:

    Both Elrington and Saldivar are good at what they did last night….TALK! We don’t need any of them in government. Elrington had his shot n he did nothing with it.

  18. Elgin says:

    These criminals need to be executed.Lets stop talking and get to work.Bruck wah two neck.

  19. Bredda says:

    Its a cultural thing, you dont see di mayans do dis, you dont see di meztiso do dis, you dont see di amish do dis, you dont see di whites do dis, now go ahead delete dis and delete di truth. dey all just as poor but you dont see dem live dis way either. You need to change it and stop it, you need to stand together and make u people stop dis stuff. proof too is it no jjust here it is every country we in and im tired of my own people make me look dis way.

    Shame on you, you gonna take some crack and blame eveyone else. NO you do di to uself.

  20. real belizan says:

    if the law is not respected curuption start with the prime minister and the other ministers both PUP and UDP by theafing the belizan money . if they dont creat no jobs and icrease tax wat du tey think people have tu find a way tu survive . if the law does not du nothing tu protect the belizans. the theaf , murderers,drug dealers bribing the law feeling victorios using the politicians as there layers seting them free . insted the government shud give the POLICE, BDF ,COAST GUARD ,IMIGRATION officers a good salary and the government shud start tu creat jobs for the betterment of the belizan people .

  21. Alan Jonws says:

    I had always said to myself why can’t we elect good, people like Senator Godwin Hulse a real Belizean patriot. A person that will look after the needs of a country and its people not a politician like those as we are seeing in a third go around not to mention, these ones are more heartless. Why not some good people with our country at heart not just for themselves its so sad to see how we are a country is going, i sometimes wonder why is so hard in Belize when we got all the resources that we need why so hard in this country. We have always been negelected by politician. why not have a revolution get rid of this government shit its not working. What have the Commonwealth done for Us nothing What have the Queen done for us Nothing. Get rid of all those shit mein its so sad to see how we are, we are so small and can be so powerfull if we only know all the resource we got in this country . I say to my leaders please educate our people about what we have in this land by the carib sea.

    Power to people

  22. Sasha says:

    This message is for all POLITICIANS who have a law degree and are still practicing while in GOVERNMENT control. This should not happen, there will always be interest towards a person/party because of who they are representing. Their ONLY DUTY should be to the constitution and betterment of the Belizean People. After your term is up, go about doing your own business.

  23. Sasha says:

    Message for Allan, the commonwealth/Queen could have given us something, but George Price was to hasty for his INDEPENDENCE, LOOKING BACK 29yrs now, things were better under their rule. The streets were paved, no blockouts, no high prices, PEOPLE were living then, they are trying to SURVIVE NOW. I DON’T MEAN stay forever under their rule maybe we could, DOES THE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT WERE ANNEXED TO THE US WANT INDEPENDENCE, NO. They are happy being taken care of by my TAX $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

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