Human Rights Commission wants crime control measures enforced properly
Cynthia Pitts
Early on Sunday afternoon, there was a murder on Mahogany Street. William Felix Francis was not only killed inside his house, he was murdered in a crime ridden area, which at the time was under heavy police presence. Government is relying on the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act to deploy police and military in the area as well as to cordon off the neighborhood. Even as the zoning of crime ridden areas is a way to arrest crime in hotspots on the south side, there are concerns that the police and B.D.F. will abuse their authority. Already, a Mayflower Street resident has complained that her granddaughter was fondled by a police during a search of their neighborhood. This morning, a Trustee for the board of the Human Rights Commission said the commission is proposing clear guidelines to be used in the raids.
Cynthia Pitts, Board Trustee, Human Rights Commission
“The law that was implemented, because that law has been there for a long time, we have no problem with it. But it’s the manner in which it is being done. Now that is where we would like to be a part of things if it is necessary and advise and what we have done so far is to draft a set of protocols, which we haven’t heard that they have that. Now in that act, it says the minister may make the regulations as to how they go into these areas but as far as we know, there are no regulations. So we have drafted—it is in the initial staged, it isn’t complete—but we would like to sit with the police and to assist them if it is necessary. I live on George Street and I have sat in my house in the afternoon and heard cries, screams coming from a nearby street and it was the police doing searches there and this happened prior to this. And so we had our concerns as to how these searches would have been done. But it wasn’t that alarming until when we were at a meeting—now I had not heard of the search that was carried on in the Mayflower area, but when we read what we read we were shocked and then it was a different mindset from when we heard about the provisions going to be enacted because certainly you know what happened there was totally out of order.”
The Human Rights Commission also says it will be providing legal assistance to the Mayflower Street resident.
Hay mujer until crime no hit you you not gonna understand the problem, maybe then you will realize that there is no law for these cowards who are murderers. Let the police do there jobs. I’m proposing that everybody bsupports the GSU so trhat they can get rid of these animals from the streets
Protocols are fine, and I’m confident the police already have some and generally follow them. But protocols mustn’t be so onerous that they impair the ability of the police to find evidence and sweep up the dangerous vermin that has reduced the Jewel to “failed state” status. Thousands of good, innocent Belizeans are victimized by a handful of career criminals every year, and it is import to let police and BDF wage and WIN a war on them, for the greater good of the nation.
If you propose protocols, Ms. Pitts, please do so with the knowledge that we live in the fifth most murderous nation on Earth. That needs to be fixed above all.
Human rights be DAMNED..there will always be a few to complain of brutality but these are isolated cases.One has to take into consideration the overall good of these sweeps.It takes drugs,weapons and ammunition off the streets which otherwise would have been used against the people.
Get out of here miss human rights!!! There is nothing right about trying to protect those that kill YOU!! What about the rights of the ones that are killed innocently>? huh? Tell me!!
Human Rights is pure bull…. And too over-used when it comes to ‘these criminal minded people’. When it reaches the homes and family of those rally for human rights for criminal offenders then come back and rally and I will see your sincerity. Yes I agree the Police and BDF must be careful in how they do things but Let me tell you some thing decent citizens don’t have police running in and out there houses and yards. Why? Because they do not put their selves in any position or spotlight to be harassed by the officers. If the police is at your house or yard…. check yo self.
I don’t want a single innocent Belizean to be harmed because some “protocol” prevented the police from fighting gangsters successfully.
first of all this lady shouldn’t even be on the show, where was her so called human rights when the cayo people ask for helpwhen the killed the yougn girl, the student from u.b and the other young girl from satna elena? she just pop out of no where when to talk about protocols. come on mrs pitts really it’s a pity you work for this so called human rights that have screwed our nation many time when crimes are done instead of helping the victim you help the criminals. criminal can’t be roughed up cause there you pop in but when the victim dies where the hell are you? it really disgust me to see you use your ability for the wrong organization.
Ms Pitts fail to remember how dramatic our Belizeans can be. They ones that are the greates law breakers cry the loudest about police brutality. How many time have we heard family members get before a microphone and speak about the innocence of their family members and how brutal the police trearted them, only to have their family memeber commit horrible murders later.
Wake up Ms Pitts, you should be assisting the families who have been victims of these vicious people, what about their human rights. I have no problem with the police conducting raids, as long as they are done respectfully, but Belize people get crazy and want to attack the police, if force is necessary use it. Stop cuddling criminals, police knows who the criminals are, they need to monitor these people. Get wise the criminals know exactly how to cry innocence, the law has to learn how to issue penalty.
Human Rights,what about victims rights Ms Pitts?
She’s a joke.
I think the best thing she can do is retired. Maybe she’s living in 1906. This is the new world. Wake up Mrs. Pitts.
Yeah you look like a shadow of a very old ghost. Its time for you to retire and take care of your 15 cats. Protect the victims not the killers.