ComPol apologizes to irate homeowner …
It was called Operation Cycle Breaker and although a series of searches in Belize City on Thursday resulted in two arrests and the seizure of a quantity of weed, it has also produced an undesired effect … an apology from none other than the Commissioner of Police to one of the owners of the targeted homes. News Five’s Marion Ali has more.
Marion Ali, Reporting
When officers hit the Kraal Road home of Caroline Westby around five on Thursday evening, they maintained it was to search the premises for drugs and guns.
But the actions of the police enraged the homeowner Caroline Westby and she focused her anger on Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crispin Jeffries.
Carolyn Westby, Homeowner
“Mr. Jeffries dah part and parcel ah everything weh di go on. Ask he because he know dah which house. The other day ih come da dah house deh come stand up and ih had meeting and I hear every word weh ih seh, every single word. I noh got no drugs and guns da my house, I da wah school counsellor fi crying out loud. I help children. Everybody weh live yah work hard.”
The officers left empty handed but Jeffries defended the search party’s actions.
Crispin Jeffries, Assistant Commissioner of Police
“We approached the building and the officers informed the occupant that there is a need to search the upper floor, Mrs. Westby. Obviously when I got the call to come out here, I understand that she was making a lot of allegations. There is nothing to suggest that we wanted to go into her house but we did in fact conduct the search on the top floor because we have the authority to search without warrant, premises when we suspect firearms are therein..”
Errol Hemmans, Homeowner
“This door was locked. Me and my common-law wife, we were in the kitchen working and sudden one the whole crowd ah guys deh come eena wah ignorant way. They neva come eena wah nice way fi seh well good evening or tell us what’s up, they hear that drugs and ammunition is here so they have to check the house.”
Crispin Jeffries
“If Mrs. Westby is upset then I assume that she is reading a lot of thing into what is happening here and I will find the time when I believe she has settled down, to try and speak to her. It is clear that she has a lot of anger in her right now because of—for what reasons, I don’t know.”
Marion Ali
“Police didn’t breach nay of her rights is what you are saying?”
Crispin Jeffries
“I am unable to say that the police breached any rights or anything because I am yet to inquire as to the details but what I have heard so far is that the police approached the premises and informed her that they are here to search the upper floor for firearms and she acted up and she came out and shouted and made a lot of noise and began to hurl insults and accusations.”
Westby’s frustrations were clear as expressed during our interview with Jeffries.
Carolyn Westby
“He know we he do. They could tell yo miss. They could tell yo this da sheer nonsense. This is deeper than this. This dah only the surface. He is part and parcel of all the nonsense, get rid of him. Get rid of him. Talk to them they could tell yoh”
Bystander
“They di use the weh seh once yo suspect drugs and firearm yoh noh need warrant, they di abuse dah law deh. Dah law wah have to change because I di tell you, they di abuse dah law deh.”
But Westby was somewhat vindicated today as a press release from the Police Department contained a public apology from Police Commissioner Gerald Westby. In part, the statement “assures Mrs. Westby … that the presence of police officers at her residence was … not due to any malicious act … to bring embarrassment to her or her family. In hind sight, it may be that the matter could have been handled differently.” The release ends with, despite “this unfortunate incident … the police will remain resolute in its fight against crime”.
Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.
