Do you think the police have support…to rid the streets of crime?
This week, a number of police officers have been taken to court to face charges for alleged criminal behavior against the people they are expected to protect. This at a time when the police department has mounted Operation Jaguar and is now involved in Restore Belize, the latest G.O.B. anti-crime initiative. We ask tonight: Do you think the police have the support of the community to rid the streets of crime?
Send your comments and responses using your SMART phone to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an e-mail with your comments to questions@channel5belize.com
How can the police expect public support if they are perceived as part and parcel of the problem? Even if the effort is genuine, the police no longer have credibility so it all looks like a sham. There should be a public campaign to show that police are being retrained. Step up the community outreach and afterschool programs that they used to do. Something like that, along with jaguar might be helpful. Right now it just looks like a mess. There needs to be a stronger effort to gain back public trust and Jaguar on its own will never be enough.
The Arana case is an example of how police top brass efforts to crack down on crime has not filtered down to the police on the street properly. If people see that a crack down on crime means cracking our heads the result will only be resentment and loss of credibility. There is enough of that already. Good policing requires community support, trust and inclusion. It also requires credibility. Police must be seen to have authority but not with fists and batons and bullying. The authority must come from proper training and knowing how to use their power without abusing it. Seeing examples of how police are helping might be good because all we can see right now is the bad.
How can the police expect public support if they are perceived as part and parcel of the problem? Even if the effort is genuine, the police no longer have credibility so it all looks like a sham. There should be a public campaign to show that police are being retrained. Step up the community outreach and afterschool programs that they used to do. Something like that, along with jaguar might be helpful. Right now it just looks like a mess. There needs to be a stronger effort to gain back public trust and Jaguar on its own will never be enough.
The Arana case is an example of how police top brass efforts to crack down on crime has not filtered down to the police on the street properly. If people see that a crack down on crime means cracking our heads the result will only be resentment and loss of credibility. There is enough of that already. Good policing requires community support, trust and inclusion. It also requires credibility. Police must be seen to have authority but not with fists and batons and bullying. The authority must come from proper training and knowing how to use their power without abusing it. Seeing examples of how police are helping might be good because all we can see right now is the bad. It is ugly.
the police department would have the support of the community but they have to stop with them bad ways and assualt people we need to come together and make Belize a better place because not all police officers are bad just in the present day is all police officers the get bad name because of the few that are doing whatever they want.
Yes the police do have the support of the community to rid the streets of crime as A.C.P. Elodio Aragon Jr., Head Operation Jaguar said in his interview on 8th June, “This operation is based on intelligence….” The intelligence that the police talks about is from people off the streets. Police have always downplayed what the community has done to assist them. It is rare when the police admit that arrest made was due to information received from a citizen(s). In order for the police to get more assistance they need to be more respectful. It is my belief that many citizens have valuable information to share with the police in order to assist them with the crime situation. The harsh way the police treat people while doing a regular stop and search leaves much to be desired. Until the police learn to respect the citizens of this country, then and only then will people be willing to assist them more.
The police need proper training in public relationship as part of their tool to deal with members of the community, they should be seen as protectors of the law and not violators of human rights.
When there is no love, respect or fear, the business of policing is difficult at best. Given the attitude of the police these days, surely they have lost the respect of but a few citizens. They have not show respect to the public therefore the public does not respect them either. Many police officers behaves with the public as if though the public is their children, such as telling adults to shut up. To have a better police force, there must be better screening for those that will be accepted as police officers. The time has come for individual who want to become police officers to meet regerous phycological evaluation, especially now that they are allow to carry fire arms that are been used indicriminately against the public.
As I’ve pointed out in other response, one should not under estemate the power that is afforded a police officer, which is supported in many complain lodged by individuals that are known to be decent law abiding citizen, who happen to come in contact with the wrong police with an inflated ego that ended up been arrested and has to prove that the charges for been arrested were unfounded. These cops need to be told that they have no right to use more force than is necessary and that they are not above the law they are hired to enforce. The majestrates need to th.row the book at those police who go before them for action unbecoming a police officer. While on the subject of police dicipline, the same goes for Immegration and Custom officers at boarder entry. They too need a good attitude adjustment on how to be corteous in carrying out their responsibility.
No! because most Belizean don’t trust the police officers. The police department needs to be clean up then they could come and clean the streets of Belize.
How can the police have the support from the people when they are always beating up on the real Belizeans.You never hear a Police beating up on a Chinese,Hindu,American or any other alien and they are as bad as any Belizean. When these aliens commit a crime all they get is a slap on the wrist while the Belizean youths are beaten and sebt to jail for the slightest of crime.Belizeans need to be respected then the police will be respected and get the support that they desperately need.
Do they have support??? Somewhat! They have our support when they are patrolling the streets of the City. Then we felt a bit safer. They often lose our support when they mistreat persons or shoot victims by mistake. After today, I don’t think so for the masses! I work in part of the legal framework of our system and to have people calling and telling us that Andre Trapp was shot dead this morning when I was to go to court about the same time is dreadful! The court is the place where people go to get protection and judgment, what is this showing? These officers are only equipped with a baton, they need to have guns! If i see that a person is with a gun and all I have is a baton, I will most certainly run, like anybody else who has proper sense!
The police need to crack down on crime, this morning’s murder is like a slap in the Prime Minister’s face after last week’s big press conference on “Restore Belize”, the men went right in front of the Courts! It’s as if though there telling us all to bring it, they’re ready to go to war! As far as support honestly, the little initiatives that they are taking to combat crime is just not good enough but then again who are we to blame them alone… we are the one’s who see or know some helpful information and refuse to come forward!
As it takes a community to raise a child in the same way it takes a city to tackle crime! Can they rid the city of crime… not a clue! But they are trying with the little resources they have so I support them they just need as i said to work better at it.
Sincerely, 20 year old Belizean Chick
wow bzean chick.. u sounds very good enough to take over the perdomo’s position. share info and will recommend u to the chief… but it’s true what you said.. again, like they keep telling us, we are in a third world country and we have to work wit the limited resources we have!