Is the police minister ready for a new commissioner?
crispin jeffries
While at the Du Di Rait Ting Ceremony this morning at Old Belize, Police Minister Doug Singh and Commissioner of Police Crispin Jeffries looked like old buddies. Singh even indicated that he personally liked Jeffries, but his previous comments gave the impression that Jeffries might be squeezed out of his post, even though the ink on his current contract has not dried. News Five asked both Jefferies and Singh to comment on whether or not the top cop is on his way out.
Doug Singh, Minister of Police
“I don’t believe it’s only a management style, beyond that mister Jeffries is a part of the force, he’s grown up within the force. What essentially happens from a management principle in large corporations is that you are not taken as seriously despite the difference in your management style. Mr. Jeffries style is certainly not status quo, it’s not the same as what was practiced in the department. Notwithstanding that, he has relationships with people within the department and his ability to be effective with his style of management can be challenged. And if we’re going to implement change in the department, we have to be sure that the system of management is not just effected effectively, but it is also believable.”
Jose Sanchez
“Your management style might not be the best and if possible they may ask you to step aside gently when the time comes. Do you think your management style works for the department?”
Crispin Jeffries, Commissioner of Police
“It is a matter of decision making for the minister to make the comment of selection of management style. I’m adaptable to management, but the challenges we face right now requires certain management styles that may not be in line with what he would want to see. He is new to the ministry and to the department and there are certainly certain things that he wants to see and I’m certainly making every effort to adapt to that. But I keep the clear understanding that I am a contract officer and I can be asked to step aside and I will do so at anytime. My challenge is that there are persons out there who would want to see me leave tomorrow. I can leave today not only tomorrow, but leaving tomorrow or today is that the solution to the problem? There are those who have long wished that I not be around and I will gladly leave if I am told that my services are not needed. But I believe that while I am here, everyday while I am here there is something to be done and I’ll we working at getting it done.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do you feel that perhaps it may be time for someone new to take the post sometime soon?”
Doug Singh
“If the decision is made, I am that sure Mr. Jeffries—and we have had this conversation—I am sure that Mr. Jeffries would respect the decision that’s being made. He has indicated that if in fact the government or me, as the minister, makes a decision that someone else must lead the department, he will graciously step out.”
Doug Singh also said that John Burns, the retired Bostonian cop, will be in Belize in a few weeks to begin his consultancy with the police department.
Do we really believe that removing Crispin will change anything?. He is just the latest ring master & we need to stop pretending that we have tamed the animals in the zoo. Pull string has kept too many Bzns down& put others in positions they were woefully unqualified for. If the boss cannot fire worthless employees, what power does he really have?
It is not only Crispin that need to go, the whole system of mangement is at fault, the book of rules was imcompetently written and sure to fail, burn the book.
leadership need good leaders,leaders that are willing to opose any law to make a situation a great one, Crispin is clearly not that man.
It is time for a change.
We don’t need a foreigner to consult with the Police Department, which will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, when we can see clearly what is wrong with the whole system, and should deal with it ourselves. Now, not after 6-12 months of consulting, meetings and committees – now!
Lock up the bent Cops, increase the pay and improve the working conditions for those left behind. Have tougher entry requirements and training for recruits, and equip them better in order for them to do thier job properly and efficiently.
Introduce annual training, tests and physical fitness tests. Those that don’t pass get 6 months to do so, or get discharged from the force.
Make the Police Force the elite of the regions Police Forces, and let those serrving serve with pride. Pride that they are in the Force, and pride in themselves that they remain in the force. Let us be proud of them, but only through their efforts & work that they do protecting us and upholding the law – Without fear or favour.
Spring clean the DPP department, and have them be 99% certain of a conviction for every case brought to the courts. The Forensic Lab should be properly funded and staffed to help with this too.
Declare a national Emergency and Martial Law, and root out & arrest all the thugs ang gangsters – ALL of them, without exception. They have weapons and they are threatening and killing Belizeans, therefore they are TERRORISTS!
Root out those in high places who are involved int he gangs & drugs, then lock them up where they belong.
… and do it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What ever happen to Mr. Crooks Report?????? Just asking……………
daveyt; you are sooo echoing my sentiments !!! Ah deh wid yuh all di way!!!
i wanna be the new commissioner… yes me me me. i gonna build a big buildin the size of a football feild and take all the youths that are responsible for crimes with turf war and revenge and their bosses and just pick them up and throw then in their. let them settle their thing in there and kill up 1 another. that way the bogus cops dont have to be carrying the burden of hanging someone. even the cops will be throwned in there…….
Go Go Go Belize, Poor Belize. dats our country. land of the free. do wad u want without consequences. just dont do petty things cause your guilty easy and fined quick.
Policing in a small country like Belize is not easy, that has lots of individuals who believe that they are above the law, for one reason or the other. Becaue things are out of control we want a top cop and all cops to rule with an iron fist, but its dam if you do, dam if you don’t business to be a cop that play by the rules in Belize. The fact that we know each other directly or indirectly make it very difficult from the natural human phycology to be the tough cop that the current situation in Belize calls for. The cop know that one day he will no longer be a cop and there are individuals that are big on revenge in Belize; not only the gang boys. Those at the top of the society get even in very suttle ways. as we see it play out in the political arena.
Many visible, as not so visible party supporters catch their living hell to make ends meet when their party is not in office; why? REVENGE. The country is not only for the Ministers of government or the police, its for all that lives within its boarders, therefore it is the responsibility of all to keep the peace and deal with each other with common respect, and in so doing we respect ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have, which mean, if one does not have respect for his/herself its hard to give respect to others. I have been to Island countries in the South Pacific seas that has no police force, therefore no need for courts, civil nor criminal. They live by a common rule, respect for others. But we need not go all the way to the South Pacific to experience peaceful living, we can have such experience Grenada and Barbados.
To change the brutality that now grips Belize is not about instilling fear, as we see that it does not work for those of lower level of conciousness. The Bible says, quote: Perfect love caseth out fear, for to fear is tourment, and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. un quote. I higher level of conciousness is badly needed to bring about the changes that is instinctly called for in these times. This higher level of conciousness must take into consideration the total personality. Physical, intellectual,and spiritual, but this is better said than done, when we take into consideration the mind set of a great percentage of the society.
Many Belizens have asked in this forum, what happen to the beautiful Belize we once knew, that we once lived in without locks on our doors, and could walked the street all hours of the night without fear? Where it was bad manners to use profanity in the company of a female, etc, etc? In my opinion the changes commence after the hurricane of 1961 when Belizeans left for the United States of America in great numbers and took with them the decipline and other part of the Belize colture. It was common before then to have the younger ones in society reffered to the elders as Miss, Misses, or Mrs. This may seem simple in human interaction, but in phycological terms its has certain social benefits. It was the custom not to see children and parent in the same dance hall, with a few exceptions. Most children went to Sunday school. The female prison warden was on standby since very few women were sent to prison. The vast majority of us were very poor, economically, but we had self respect and pride.
Many who could not deal with the cultural changes in USA fell under its weight. Some came back and spread negative habits that were learnt in USA. Next we get pipe into Belize by way of television, movies that did not normally showed in the cinemas of Belize that were considered to be unwhole sum for the younger audence. Now it can be seen 24/7 by those impressionable minds who cannot properly process the contents of such movies to seperate facts from fiction. The so-call music that current Belizeans obsurb, in my opinion is nothing but garbage for the mind.
It is the working of the mind that will make or break anyone; so garbage in will produce garbage out. Another quote from the Bible, quote: Bring up a child in the way he/she should grow and when they are old they will not depart from it. unquote. Given the amount of young criminals in Belize is a clear indication that these unfortunate souls had little or no real training, consequently what we see is what we get..
There is no way that any police commissioner can fight crime in belize. Can you please meditate and ponder which lawfirm profits from all this crime. It is dean barrow law firm who is reaping all this money by defending all this criminals on patrol. Oops .c.o.ps gangsters. Murders.etc. A word to the wise close your lawfirm and stop defending those crooks.