P.M. and Police Minister agree to institute preventative detention
Doug Singh
Back to the prime minister’s press conference this afternoon. Undoubtedly the issue of preventative detention was initially met with protest from the Belizean public when the matter arose in 2010. When asked if retaliatory action taken by Belize City gangs is the result of measures taken by the Gang Suppression Unit, Minister of Police Doug Singh as well as P.M. Barrow stated that while it may be a case of cause and effect they have collectively agreed that government will institute preventative detention.
Doug Singh, Minister of Police
“We take individuals off the streets that can cause certain problems. There was a funeral last weekend—last week Friday I think it probably was—that certainly could have created a rather untenable situation certainly with respect to the temperature of individuals who may have been victims of that particular crime. What the police tries to do in variable ways is to try to ensure that we do what we can to control any possible violence that can spring from those activities. Some of the actions we take sometimes aren’t really to the liking of individual gang members and sometimes they take retaliatory action just to make a point. We believe certainly some of the actions taken was as a result of some of the actions taken by the police officers. Well first of all, I can’t confirm the theories in the first case that in fact one was directly related to the other. There are certain indicators that say it is possible, but there is no evidence to say that it absolutely is. So we certainly will not react or overreact in that capacity. Would we restrain the activity of our gang unit? Absolutely not! I think the gang unit has been absolutely effective. The gang unit has taken a tremendous amount of drugs off the street; they have resulted in taking guns off the streets and a number of arrests. There is absolutely no reason to do that. I think that the gang operation has operated with a tremendous amount of restrain—I certainly think so. They have operated within the realms of the law and they have operated and respected the rights of citizens in this country. So absolutely not, we would not restrain that.”
Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow
“You can’t say that we’re bringing back something that didn’t work because it wasn’t implemented. That’s the whole point. We floated the idea and there was such a noise thrown up in opposition to it that we thought that perhaps the democratic thing to do was to pull back and that’s what happened. I am saying now that, I believe, given the way things continue to deteriorate, we absolutely must—this time—proceed with the change to the constitution and the implementation of the preventative detention regime. When I met with the security personnel this morning, I asked the question: Do you believe if we did this, it will make an appreciable difference?”
Belizeans keep an eye on this. It´s a solution that could turn into a problem.
PRISON FARM…………..
Drastic times calls for drastic measures.Why did it take a chinese protest,for the prime minister to try and grab the bull by the horn?We have lost a lot of other innocent belizeans along the way.Neverthe less some change is better than no change,the GOB should also implement new law tackling those crime bosses,the gang leaders,shatta’s,those older criminal element,that has a strangle hold on our youths,manipulating them into committing all these heinous crimes.Simply cutting the tail of the serpent,will not be enough,we must go for the head.They must also tackle the issue of or youth’s being on the street’s,when they should be in school.If their parents has no control over them,then they should become a ward of the government,put these kids in a boot camp environment,along with manditory education,agriculture,and military training.
two chinese citizen died-so many press conference and plan to start stop these hedious crime.. Many Belizean brothers and sisters have fallen due to violence like these, u think there were any conference to battle crime, nope but thanks to the chinese our gov. is ready to act, quite sad to be belizean..
Oh sorry, I dont feel all that sad, Only Belizean for Justice stood for these crime. u’ve better than gov. Cheers!!!!
Preventive detention has no history of working ANYWHERE, including Jamaica. So, why do we think it will work here? Can’t they come up with anything else? What about the Crook Report – were any of those very substantive recommendations ever implemented. That report has been with government since at least 2008, and not much seems to have been done. Of course, actually curing the problems of BPD would be hard work – not just grandstanding on television.
EMPTY WORDS AND MORE LIES.
Catch the killers and hang them. That’s all there is to it. Short of that, nothing matters.
The problem is that the PM and Singh are already swimming in blood of Belizeans who have died because of their gutlessness and incompetence.
WHO BELIEVES THEM ANY MORE?
I am not impressed with this band-aid solution at all because this same initiative failed miserably already. The same police officers from within the highest ranks of the force inform the leaders of these crime syndicates prior to raids of their houses and stash spots for a few extra dollars or protection and cover-up of their misdeeds. THAT’S AN ESTABLISHED FACT!!! The entire police dept. needs purging! PREVENTATIVE DETENTION IS RECYCLED GARBAGE AND IT WILL FAIL!!!!! ALL THIS WILL DO IS GIVE THE LAWYERS MORE JOBS!!! ARM YOURSELVES BELIZEANS AND TAKE VIGILANTE JUSTICE……..AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A LIFE FOR A LIFE…….ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The reason why there are press conference when Chinese dies is because there people are united. We complain that our brother and sisters died and nothing happen but we are to blame. That’s our problem as Belizeans. We like to complain but do nothing yet we expect things to change. Don’t you think if all of us Belizeans would do the same thing as the Chinese have done don’t you think we would make a greater impact?
very sensible jack namis this is what i have been preaching for years now but all these people who keep defending judas barrow are to blame also i hope none of their family members are next to be laying in the streets when their is no leadership their is only chaos and this is what is happening in this beautiful country of mine no leadership none none you are a failure judas barrow a big failure you will go down in history as the worse pm and gov. in the history of belize so let it be said so let it be written.
Shame on you PM you’ve got more murders per month than jobs that are available to Belizean Citizens.
Dean Barrow should preventively institute himself. He defended and personally knows the crime leaders……
It is about time we do what the Argentines did in the nineteen seventies. Take the small amount of violent criminals along with the criminal bosses over the jungle and push them out the chopper door.
@ Lindsay Garbutt…Dean Barrow is copying Obama when he revisited preventitive detention for terrorist @ guantanamo bay…Dean is a wanna be Obama….barrow is filled with lots of talk and no substance…this “new” solution won’tget anywhere.
sorry my last comment was meant as a response to Lindsay Howard..not Garbutt
One thing at a time Mr Singh and PM.The Belizean people are still awaiting the restoration process.How can you two lame duck institute priventative detention when Jewel havn’t being restored?What happen to restore Belize?”Hello”
These two men need to get some balls. I believe they are afraid for their own lives if they start sounding too hard on these killers. This coconut no fall far from the tree, they are afraid of retalation. The criminals are watching the news and they are laughing at the law. I can hear them now bwi denh so stupid mien, then they high five each other as theysmoke their dope and drink their alcohol. Hang em. If you know they kill just to kill, hang them, it there are special surcumsatances then deal with that, but out right murder like these two, hang them or give them a choice of death, firign squad, injection, hanging or any other means of death, then make them dig their own graves first. Sounds uncivilized, so is murder without reason.
WATCH OUT………They are trying to shyne us. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN.
anonymous………….Big Shyne(PM) and Obama are ONE TERMERS…………big disappointments.
BUYER’S/VOTERS REMORSE SETTING IN…………………..big time. Elections are coming……..
Doug Singh & Dean Barrow needs to reigsn immediately!!!!! followed by the firing of Crispin Jeffries!!!
ALL TALK NO ACTION
It was beautiful how the Chinese community got out there and made them selves heard they did not wait for someone else to fight for them they did it themselves but we as Belizean all we want to do is talk and blog not one of us is willing to do what the Chinese people did risk your self for justice not one we have no back bone that is why we are being made fools of and living like prisoners in our country. All we have is MOUTH and more MOUTH!!!!!!! and that’s the truth of the matter.
The police and the government ministers automatically think that every “black” Belizean that gets killed is linked to a gang. But now that these Chinese women got killed “OH NO! they aren’t linked to any gangs so we got to do something about it quick!” How many more “Chinese” people have to die before we get the DEATH PENALTY implemented and of course a judiciary that actually can win cases because obviously we poor “black” Belizeans aren’t worth SQUAT! All we are, are slaves to the government- work hard, pay taxes and don’t complain! Well quite frankly I’ve had enough of it….VIGILANTE JUSTICE!!!
Press Conference. These fools are just looking for another excuse to meet at the Princess Casino, fedd some b$ to the Belizean people and off to the blackjack tables for the rest of the day.
MY CONDOLANCES TO ALL WHO S LOVE ONES HAVE BEEN MURDERD AND TO THOSE THAT WILL BE ——- BELIZEAN ARE LOCK IN A STATE OF WHO IS IN CONTROL OF BELIZE THE ENGLISH THE BELIZEAN GOVERMENT OR THE WHITE RICH CRIMINAL HIDE IN BEHINED THE POLICE AND THE P.M BARROW FROM THE USA MONEY TALK BS WALK ———- BELIZEAN DEFEND YOUR SELF AGAINST THESE PEOPLE IN POWER —— DONT ASK FOR HUNGING PENALTY — BARROW WILL HAVE TO HUNG HIS SON TOO –SO THAT PENALTY IS OUT ??????? GET THEM OUT PUT BACK GEORGE PRICE OUT WITH UDP PUP AND ALL P WE NEED NEW LEADERS THAT WILL GET THE JOB DONE NO MORE TALK IT TIME FOR ACTION
When UDP was still in opposition, clever carlos perdomo came up with a plan to combat crime! Have you guys forget the famous “360” plan????????????
Channel 5 please ask barrow what happen to that genius plan please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so many JPs out there lets put them to work. Just as the police need them to sign information and complaints to arrest someone so the police should do a complain infront of a JP to keep a detain person for longer periods upto a certain date and time.