26 arrests for 100 murders defines low conviction rate
Serious crimes are up according to the statistics from the Belize Police Department joint intelligence coordinating center. While the overall number of reported crimes in the nine month period from January to September has dropped by twenty-three, it is still high at two thousand and seventy. Murders notably went up in the first nine months of the year, but even more alarming is that arrests are down. While only thirty-eight persons were arrested for one hundred and four murders in 2011; this year, twenty six persons have been arrested for one hundred and six murders. We discussed these statistics with attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley who says the blame can’t be placed on the D.P.P.’s office for a low conviction rate when the arrest rate is already at an all-time low.
Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, Attorney
Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, Attorney
“There is a one hundred and four murders in 2011—up to September of last year—and up to September of this year, a hundred and six according to this paper. But the count on the street is about one hundred and twelve or thereabouts. The arrests, according to this official document, in the first nine months of last year, they only arrested thirty-eight persons that had to do with one hundred and four murders committed. For this year, for the first nine months, there were a hundred and twelve or a hundred and fourteen murders, but only twenty-six arrests. So the concern that you are raising in one area that the major worry is that the conviction rate in the country of Belize is so low, is so dismal; it’s appalling. And then of course the lawyers get the blame for it; oh the lawyer do and get them off.”
Jose Sanchez
“They would say, in particular, you.”
Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley
“And in particular some people name Bradley—they confuse me with Leo Bradley all the time, but it happens. But if you have over a hundred murders and you only arrested twenty-six suspected, accused persons. then right away your conviction rate is pretty, pretty low. This in fact, I’m gonna say to you, this can’t correct. There is no way they only arrest twenty-six people in relation to a hundred and six murders. Something is wrong; dehn statistics here needs to be explained. So I want to say this; it is unfair to blame the Director of Public Prosecutions for low conviction rates because the arrest rate is extremely low. You can’t convict plenty people if u only arrest a lee bit; something wrong right away. So that explains a big part of the problem. And just to share statistics, last year except for—last year, in fact, every month women were raped in Belize. That is probably the second worst crime in this country is carnal knowledge and rape.”
I don’t think lawyer Bradley thought his answer through fully.
The ARREST rate is less than 25%. It is based on the crimes reported and the number of people arrested for them.
The CONVICTION rate is based on charges filed in court [not every arrest leads to charges, of course], and the number of those defendants actually convicted for murder, either by a guilty plea [rare!] or after a trial [also rare].
In more developed countries with much higher success in making arrests and convictions, trained prosecutors are involved from early stages in supervising investigations, so that adequate legally admissible evidence can be put together to support both arrest and conviction. We need to ask for help in putting such a system in place here.
And police need basic equipment to help get convictions, like audio recorders so that confessions and other witness statements become irrefutable evidence in court. We see murderers walk free every week because police were unable to record such vital evidence. “For want of a nail a shoe was lost; for want of a shoe a horse was lost; for want of a horse, a battle was lost; for want of a battle a kingdom was lost.” These little failures of GOB add up.
I’d like to ask Hon. John Saldivar why the police have no voice recorders to help convict murderers? I think all Belizeans deserve to hear you answer that question.
U have to blame the D.P.P. because she would always say that there is no evidence to support a charge however when she says there is they will still lose the cases.
Very well said Jose Sanchez. We blame the lawyers. The killers and drugdealers that Dickie or any other Bradley defend comit the crime more than one time. Its very well known.
The states are much worse than this for real, 100 murders 26 arrest. Out of the 26 arrested how many conviction? maybe 10?
Of the number arrested, how many have been tried? Of the number tried, how many have been convicted? These are the numbers that involve laywers.
What are the statistics for the last 3 years?
The problems are coming from evil hearts. Turn to Christ for forgiveness and sin no more.
Why is this man being asked anything he has caused many of these murders by letting these murderers get off how can he sleep at night knowing that he is the cause of so many murders I guess Bradley and barrow are made from the same mold they both have caused hundreds and hundreds of murders and still sleep good.
CONGRATULATIONS ROD….!!! TRULY….FINALLY… I can agree with you 100%…..
Iam really glad you came down your horse of party politics…
Dickie… we are not foools…… we hear good when in the news “Dickie Bradley” comes up over and over as the defender of murderers…..even your picture comes up…. not Leo’s
C’mon people we need to accept the reality…. IN BELIZE CRIME IS A BIG BUSINESS FOR LAWYERS….. OUR GOVERNMENTS (RED & BLUE) ARE RUN BY LAWYERS……ARE WE TO EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO REALLY TRY SOMETHING REALLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST CRIME??… WHEN CRIME IS WHAT IS FILLING THE BANK ACCOUNTS OF THEIR LAW FIRMS?????
they will pretend to be doing things to stop crime…. like illegalizing tints!!! has crime gone down since then??? how stupid!!!….and some of us fools fall for that nonsense….
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS BE OUR OWN AND NEIGHBOURS’ KEEPERS…..LET’S START ELIMINATING THE CRIMINALS OURSELVES….WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE… WE COMPLAIN ABOUT GOB’S INCOMPETENCE AND WE DO NOTHING TO STOP IT…..!!!
I’m with Roska. People power, people’s justice.
Disagree with Rod et al. Defence lawyers are only doing their job. Its not their fault if the police screw up the cases due to lack of training, or if a shabby prosecution is presented for whatever reason. The system cannot work if lawyers on BOTH sides do their jobs properly.
Ever stop to think , if no one defends accused criminals, then whats to stop the police from just picking up the first bad man and beating a confession out of him to satisfy the public? Then guess what? Even if a “bad man” is then in jail, the real killer still goes free!
Defence laywers doing their job should force the prosecution and police to step up their game. There is no shortcut to better prosecution and police work, period. Asking defence lawyers to not do a good job will only lead to a nation of kangaroo courts and a breakdown of the “innocent until proven guilty” principle. Might sound good….until its you or your relative that’s in the dock.
Think about it!
I’m far past supporting “kangaroo courts.” We have no organized criminal justice in the Jewel, for many reasons — it is the Wild West here. I support vigilante committees to eliminate the infamous and notorious criminals. Every community knows who are the professional criminals among them.