Uniform Pride & Possible Dismissal in the Police Department
doug singh
We told you earlier in the newscast about this morning’s press conference by the Minister of Police. Well, fresh off his comments about fat cops, the minister of police has new comments about drunken cops. Doug Singh said today that ‘Uniform Pride’ will be one way to motivate and to change the behaviour of some officers. If you catch and document officers being unruly and essentially not showing uniform pride, you may just win a prize.
Doug Singh, Minister of Police
“Some of the things we’ve done is we’ve made the decision to removed the internal affairs from management services where it was at a mid-tier level and put it under the chief executive officer in the ministry of police and public safety. We are actually going to tool that unit and there is a recommendation coming out of police reform subcommittee, that there be an oversight committee which is public sector driven that will look and help to drive that department with respect to the investigations to help to eliminate any charge of internal influence that might affect the performance of this department. That is something we are just waiting on final recommendations from the police reform committee because we do not want to do something in isolation of the good recommendations that are being made. So we’ve held back on physical moving this department. We are physically removing it from police headquarters and actually housing it in the police ministry, so that they are physically removed from the headquarters. So those are some of the things that we are doing to try to address what may be perceived as internal corruption and the lack of attention or addressing the internal corruption. In addition to that, we are moving strongly at identifying officers within the department for removal within the next thirty days. I’m not going to say who these people are, but we are looking at this. It may not be a huge amount, but we may not be able to convict these individuals, but just in the effort of just moving forward, individuals will be moved from the department. In addition to this, we are trying to put other little things in place to help make police men accountable, to wear the uniform in pride and to protect the uniform and the charge to which they are responsible. They are simple things like public drinking and behaviour of police officers. I’ve said on Mister Hyde’s show, on the Link Up Show, that we are going to encourage people to use their cell phones and take pictures of these things. We are going to find the police officers and we are going to give a reward for the individuals who use their phones to get the kind of evidence because I think we need to start to make people responsible for their actions.”
I also recommend a finger print database….I believe that we can use the Social Security and Belize Election & Boundary to collect pictures and finger-print from their card holders, to populate a database that CIB can use….This can function like the USA has database on convicted criminals and can easily identify them if they commit a crime and leave behind a finger print….lets use technology to collect the finger print of all prisoners in Kolbe….
Mr. Singh for what it’s worth, it is great to see that you are attempting to bring about positive change.
I believe one of the commentators saw a few of your officers misbehaving two nights ago, how will his identity be protected if he goes to the Ministry instead of Internal Affairs?
This guy really doesn’t get it. Instead of empowering the police so that they can work with the community to solve crime, he is demoralizing them by giving the impression that there are bunch of fat drunken cops in uniform running around. The cops and the community are to join in fighting the criminals, not the community and the criminals fighting the cops with the aid of the Minister. He needs to be removed. You’re the problem Mr. Minister not the Police Department. Please resign now!
I applaud Mr Singh for what he is doing.However he’s got to take this fight all the way to the top.Why not start this campaign with firing people from the DPP.This is the most incompitent department in our judgicial system.The Police can make as many arrest as possible and at the end of the day if there isn’t any conviction what is the point?
If the cops are scared then what are you going to do. This is what i have said before they need more training. Like gun training we know that that guns are not the solution to this problem but it will scared killer away and more likely put and end to all this crimes. Detective need to look carefully went they go to a crime place. Get all the information they need to put killers in prison. You want to get enough information from the person that called the police like her name how is this person related to you that got killed? how did he or she know about this crime? Then you gather all the evidence and witness then you make you case.
I think detective are not doing what they suppose do. They are acting lame to these case they are not gathering their information properly. The need to be more patient with the ability to take killers off the streets.
Finally there is a brilliant move to to change the mentalltiy of these men in uniform, that feels that they are Gob in them ploice uniform, i applaude Mr. Singh on this bold effort i know that this man will shape up this Police Ministry, and make them serve as they were sworn to do. Many thanks to you Mr. Singh i hope that all the words that you have echoed in this press conference comes to reality, and your ideas are very good for the Department and the intire Country of Belize. I also have yet to hear from the new Attorney General M. B Q Pitts about his legislative system that falls under him, what will happen noliy pross cases, the negeligence in this judical systems that continues to fail the Belizean people, we are waiting on you now Attorney General step up to the plate now.
They need to do the same thing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An independent investigation needs to be done into all the nepotism that is occuring in that Ministry. Only the children and relatives of Cabinet Ministers, who have little or no experience/qualifications, are being given senior positions at our Embassies around the world. There are many highly qualified Belizeans who invested a lot of time and money going abroad to get higher degrees and international work experience. They are highly qualified and want to work for Belize, but are not even being considered. Belize will never get ahead until greed and corruption are rooted out of every Ministry.
About a couple months ago there was a story regarding a boat some where near the municipal airport titled (” Hands on” minister and the unregistered boat owner at the airstrip) where the anti drug unit had came to the scene, Mr. Sing’s name was mentioned in some of the comments I imagine that he is known as the hands on Minister not sure but it seems that even the news people are scared to mention names, now if this was indeed Mr. Sing involved in this situation, was there any comments made by him to at least clear his name? the saying usually goes “Silence gives Consent” now if he was truly involved in some Improprieties how can he expect the people of Belize to trust him acting like he is trying to clean the police force up when he could probably be involved with some wrong doings himself.
Belize Belize yu far gaan!!!!! let me just day the situation has just only begun. fresh drop outs yearly, more families having children and cant support them, corrupt police n politians. SOLUTION : DEATH PENALTY, HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN SAYING THIS.
Minister Singh claims he will be removing some police from the department. I hope selected ones wont be used as sacrificial lambs for others. The police department is full of corruption from top to bottom and from North to South and East to West. I will wait and see who will be those policemen. I am happy to see that in the West Mr Chester is trying and making some big changes in the town and villages by having more police patrolling the streets and mobile circulation. But he needs to look within his department keenly because he has some corrupted police officers who pick who they are going to raid. The CIB they choose who to go to and just protect others, they know why. They raid all the rivals of one special group who seems to be protected by them. Thats why these special individuals and their friends do what they want and keep getting away and the everyone knows this.
I agree with the Minister, some cops thinks they are God’s gift. A decent and respectable cop will never drink do anything contrary to the standing orders. Look at Mr Tablada, he was a descent man and people loved him. At the time he puts you in check you get mad but after that you see where he is coming from. As for fat policemen what kind of thing is that, how can they get the criminals, please, mek dey work out and look nice. Also we as Belizean need to teach our children charity and stop blaming govt, church, school etc. We have failed our children and now we expect other to take up the slack. We are the ones who caused this. SHAME ON US. Fathers take care of the child even if you don’t want the mom, mom talk to your kids even if the dad is an idiot. We da di one who pick up these men. Stop telling the kids their mom and dad a useless. Like the saying goes “Da no everything we shine, da gold”. Take a man who can take or you and the kids.
I think that this is not right. People who are not elected by the people should not hold no portfolio be it UDP OR PUP. This is nonsence. Get this guy away and put in Castro as minister or Police. He will do a better job!!
I agree with the minister a 100% these cops need to be professionals and serve and protect the people , anoath they vowed to keep. I dont see nothing wrong with people catching thses roague cops on video or pictures abusing their power and destroying the integrity of the police dept. Which cop under the influence is going tob do his or her job right? Which cop that cant run because of overweight and health problems can catch a criminl or defend himself before he defend the victims? Cops that are overweight and not heathy enough to be active on the streets need to sit at a desk or work at the station. Drunken and roague cops need to be fired, its like drinking and driving. So Mr. PATRIOT do you condone drunk and abusive cops? If I’m wrong let cops do whatever they like and dont complain or set rules and regulations to follow.
WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, GOOD JOB MINISTER. I JUST HOPE THEY GET THE POWER AND AUTONOMY TO DO THEIR JOB WITHOUT POLITICAL INFLUENCE.
@peacemaker… I disagree. IMHO the problem with the system in Belize is we empower people (ministers) who’s only credentials often are that they won a popularity contest on election day. I’m not saying Doug Singh is the best person for the job, but I don’t see any elected member of this government who is better skilled to take on that job. If I could change the system I would drastically reduce the power of cabinet ministers (outlawing “minister’s discretion” to start) and make them nothing more than the conduit to cabinet from the area of interest they represent. In their place I would hire the best people to be CEO (or permanent secretaries as we used to call them) and give them autonomy OVER the the “minister” who reports to cabinet.
Doug Singh is a JOKE
I SAW MANY DRUNKEN POLICE IN UNIFORM IN A BAR , I WILL GET MY PRIZE , AND POST EM ON YOUTUBE…
Mr Singh, may i remind you that more bees are caught by honey than with vinegar, quarreling with the police will not solve the crime problem but rather do a proper intensive and psychological screening of potential recruits, review the training syllabus at the police training academy with special emphasis on the following: public relationship, crime investigation and securing of crime scene, proper collation and security of case files,community development, i do not know what is the length of the trainig but i would recomend that it should be at least six months to a year and should not be allowed to pass out until they have completed a rigourous probationary period, during which time they will be observed to see if they are successfuly putting their training into practice. Finally Mr Singh, equip and provide all the necessary specialized training and resources to the police, try and inspire and encourage rather than crticising the police officers Mr Singh after all they are only human with human frailties.
I need to make a correction to my above statement Mr Singh, i meant more flys are caught with honey than with vinegar,
AND THEN………….???????
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE “CROOKS REPORT”?????
Shouldn’t that be a BLUE-PRINT???????