Where is the forensic lab that will bring murder convictions?
dean barrow
The violence in Belize City Streets was controlled for a few weeks after the installation of Operation Jaguar. It seems that the quick fix measure would do exactly what it set out to do while the government prepared to roll out its Restore Belize campaign. Restore Belize is expected to start in August, but with a heavily bureaucratic composition of subcommittees, the rolling out is expected to be slow. But this past week, the military appeared to be more kitten than jaguar and it was the criminal elements that had the upper hand in restoring Belize City back to lawlessness. The murderers have not only been killing each other but also innocent victims, including women. And the public is well aware that even if cases are brought to the Supreme Court, they normally fall apart because witnesses fail to testify at trial. The only viable solution was highlighted in the Harold Crooks report, which is a DNA laboratory which provides absolute evidence that will link murderers to their crime. The Prime Minister referred to the solution back in February when he said that his government would deliver either an integrated Ballistic Information System or a DNA Lab within a month. well, that has not happened; but here is what he said at the time.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow (February 10th, 2010)
“This, it is well known has been perhaps our most challenging area and the new dimension that is represented by the introduction of the throwing of grenades, a new dimension to the face of crime and violence especially in Belize City has been a frightening development. What I want to say to you and the people of this country is that the police have not been idle; the government has not been idle. There were the efforts at dialogue, there were the efforts of social intervention with the gangs engaged in this mindless nihilism, this crazy internecine warfare. But at the same time police efforts at interdiction have increased measurably. Operation “Restore Hope” was launched and it has met with some limited success. Those efforts were crowned yesterday by our recovery of the first of the grenades that we know to be out there together of course with a number of high caliber weapons. I will provide the funds to enable the police to purchase two buses that will act as—if it’s not an oxymoron—stationary mobile patrols. These are buses that in terms of particular hotspots, can be parked with equipment and personnel onboard in an effort to help, if not seal off areas, monitor ongoings. But the buses are of course mobile and can move from one hotspot to the next. I am determined that we will give to the security forces either this integrated ballistic information system (IBIS) or the DNA Lab, whichever of course is cheaper—well, no question of any of them being cheap—whichever is less expensive. But I am making a personal commitment that we will go with one or the other within the next month or so.”
Well that was in February, but even before that during the last election campaign, one of the U.D.P. manifesto promises was to establish a forensic lab. This has also not been fulfilled.
WHICHEVER IS CHEAPER?????
Is that something you would like to hear when one of your own children or family members have been harmed? You need to make a move quickly before its too late for other families including your own.
The Belizean people deserve to know what happens to their loved ones when a crime occurs. They deserve to know. Too many unsolved mysteries. Too many crimes being committed.
It’s time to end this!
dean is fireing and change people all over the place like crazy and the crime is still going up now he is bring people from other country where crime is worst than in bz. crime in LA is far worst than in bz crimes in the US is far worst that in bz.
what he need too do is step aside and let a honest belize run the country, but the government is so corrupt tht no honest person wants too be in it thats why we get all these criminals runing for office. crime is mexico will never stop bec the politicians are criminals. why will it stop in bz
A working Forensic Lab is a good (IDEA) but is not the priority of this, or the past government. That is so sad, we live in towns and citys where criminals get away time and time again and nothing gets done except promises every election time.
I THINK WE SHOULD THINK, ANALYSE WHEN POLITICIANS COME WITH THOSE BIG MANIFESTO OFFERING WHAT THEY CAN’T EVEN AFFORD TO DO. for the next election please people think for the future not for the party you like. we tend to vote for a party because we like the color, we like the people in it or my old folks are from that party and we want to keep the family tradition. lets make a diference for the next one. if we see they are not capable well don’t vote for them because we’ll never end this brocken promises that has been a traditional political propaganda.
people of belize wow i am shoked on how much you will take before you do something about the murders in belize i say march on this gov now everyperson in belize should get up and march on this gov.that is as useless as tits on a bull and demand the hanging penalty for anyone commiting murder and 20yrs of hard labor for anyone caught with an illigal handgun ,demand that they hang them tha bridgefoot and make sure you have people the sell panades and hops so that everyone can enjoy the spectacle , belizeans you need to do this now before it is too late, why isnt anyone asking the pm how much money the belizean gov has pocketed from talking back all the gang members from the us am telling you barrow has his whole face up obamas ,,,, he cant even breath and its warping his mind, forget about the us laws bring back our own laws to the country march belizeans march before your time is up.
All the Forensics with corrupted Cops handling the evidence isn’t going to make a difference.It’s like sending a thief to the Bank with a bag of cash and telling him not to take anything out of the bag.
well, the first thing that needs to be done is getting rid of those crooked police officers, who themselves meddle with evidence ……. the DNA lab is a good idea once it is done properly….. but things need to straighten up from the top……because at the rate things are now…..we get the impression that “if you cant beat them, you join them” attitude is being taken, and i am talking about the same police officers who do not deserve to be one. Politicians, in situations like these, put your differences apart and work together…..only so do you show you really care for your country and people. stop criticizing operation jaguar….it’s like you sit down hoping that it would fail so that you criticize it, instead….everyone should try help and cooperate to make it work…..or better the program.
It is a waste of time and money by establising a Forensic lab at the moment in Belize, this is not suddenly going to make a difference.
What is needed right now is that people go back to school to acquire the proper training to work in a forensic lab.
You cannot just take one of those police officers and trained him for a few weeks to work the F.L, that is bs.
When will the citizens of Belize wake up and start demanding more of their government leaders with regards to solving POVERTY & LACK of EDUCATION which are the major cause of all the crimes.
Until some positive and steps are taken by the government in this direction, not even attempts like jaguar paw will pay off. It is time for the leaders to stop giving long eloquent speeches,roll up their sleeves and start doing what they were elected to do.
Strangely, it appears that both parties (UDP and PUP) don’t care about the poor in Belize, if I am am correct, the poor people of Belize are doomed. They will need a messiah to haul them out of the mess and misery of the place callled a JEWEL by those enjoying the perks of oil and other natural resources.
WAKE UP people of Belize, you need to see through both of your political parties in your so called system of democracy..
I think forensic labs with well trained civilian technicians would be an asset. They should go out on scenes and collect evidence with the help of cops preserving the scene,trained cops though. Person of interest can be convicted or eliminated if innocent by simple DNA, fingerprint, gun powder residue with coroboration with witnesess or statements from witnesses. This way witnesses can be protected by just giving a statement and forensics seal the deal for conviction. Circumstantial and forensics put a criminal on the spot and on the longer run save money by having short trials and the possibility of letting a killer go free and commit more crimes. Think about it, what a witness is afraid to say forensics will say it with authority and 99.9% correct.
I agree with ronzy totally, the forensic lab is a necessary tool in the fight against crime. However Belize is far away(10 years or more) from even starting to get benefits from a lab. The big problem is having police officers who do not understand the science of fighting crime. We need to start by getting belizeans trained, by now we should have forensic technology being offered at UB, or we can send interested individuals to train in forensic science. Having this as a part of the police department will be setting it up for failure, this should be a department by itself probably along with the coroners office and remove the police from this all together. We also need to set up other systems in place to combine with the forensics so as to minimize the dependence on eyewitnesses who are always in danger when they testify. We need to properly set up the transport department to have a usable database, we need to be able to follow electronic transactions, use of telephone activity, all these can be used to corroborate evidence so that there won’t be dependency on one type of evidence alone. This will increase convictions and give the citizenry more confidence in the Judicial system.
Hanging cannot be the answer, we are not getting enough convictions and some convictions are suspect!!!