Should visitors who commit offences be treated differently?
In light of a story about a US national who has had to extend her stay in Belize because of traffic infractions and whose family has been making allegations on the internet that do not augur well for Belize, we asked if visitors should be treated differently from Belizeans when they commit any offence in the Jewel? The sentiment from those who polled was captured with the comment that: “All processes and laws should be followed squarely for both Belizeans and foreigners. Neither should be treated better … or worse. Eighty-seven said no and thirteen percent said yes.
A crime is a crime… no matter if commited here or in the moon…. pay the same consequences
A crime is a crime should be treated like a regular belizean because when we go to there country can we just commit a crime and come back to our country………….Deal with them.
fox 28, columbus, ohio has a report on this same story.
sometimes, we have to look at both sides before making a decision.for instance, a woman was fined in PG because she did not know the street was one way. she was from the US and had jus come in…. i believe the trans dept guys should have taken this into consideration before fining her as she was not aware of it…
I have been to many, many countries, and it is my experience that law enforcement will, under certain circumstances be lenient to a foreignor, except for serious crime.Minor traffic infraction is over looked. We want tourist to come and spend their hard earned money that help out our economy, but we don’t feel that we should be reasonably considerate. Get real.
The motor cycle driver was drinkin with a police officer prior to the accident so ofcourse all the evidence will dissapear. I hope no Americans go to Belize, the police force is corrupt and the reason why that tiny country is the murder capital of the world. It’s disgusting.
well, from what we hear down here, she was NOT in the wrong, the motorcycle came across the line and hit her head on, but, see, we do not have policeman trained in proper accident re-construction and who knows, the cops may have tried to shake her down for money, that does happen down here in the south, thats what I hear.
@omg, they are appealing to a specific audience. I have driven from the Pacific to the Atlantic Coasts & I can assure you that there are roads in rural communities in the US that are as bad as ours in Belize. I stopped for gas off Interstate 40 in Tennessee & thought I had stepped into Deliverance, a few feet off the highway, this road turned into a rutted out dirt road with potholes that could break the axle on a car.
Jeorge, very good observation about the multiple traffic infractions. About the death penalty, this station conducted a poll, more than 90% of the respondents support the death penalty. In a strange way, the murder rate in Belize is high because the street is now doing what the courts will not.