Crime Control Council to be replaced by Restore Belize

Michael Young

The Crime Control Council has been inactive for a couple years. The Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act clearly defines that the fourteen member group that was appointed by the Prime Minister would plan, develop and coordinate crime prevention programs and strategies and also locate jobs for unemployed youth. But the Chairman of the Council, Michael Young says, those duties now belong to Restore Belize.

Michael Young, Chairman, Crime Control Council

“The Restore Belize program was established in fact I believe in June 2010. When that came in as a—in a sense—department of government with a staff operating every day; really having the same ambit of duties and functions as the Crime Control Council, it was immediately by the Crime Control Council that that is a more effective structure and organization to deal with the objectives of the Crime Control Council. In fact it was superior also in the sense that it is ultimately chaired by the Prime Minister. The steering committee of it is chaired by the C.E.O. in the Prime Minister’s ministry. And one thing that we don’t want to do is to waste time and resources where they are not going to be utilized. A memorandum was sent to the government to that effect. It would really need a revisiting to the legislation perhaps to even make Restore Belize an entity in place of the Crime Control Council, but that has not yet been done and it is a matter for the government. In this situation where the law required that the Crime Control Council concur with the ministry in the declaration of these areas, it was necessary as a matter of law for us to meet and that is why we did it.”

After today’s meeting, the council is not expected to function unless there are legislative changes.