Police Community Awareness Day in zone 4 crime ridden area

Police efforts to build relationships with residents of various areas of the city continued today. A Community Awareness Day was held in zone four of the crime ridden areas and the Community Policing Unit invited several agencies to provide information on services residents may not know are available to them. Students and members of the general public headed out to the corner of Euphrates and Kut avenues to take advantage of the information and services provided at the booths. And while the event was well received, organizer, Corporal Hortence Hernandez of the Community Policing Unit, says she wanted to see more adults coming out.

Cpl. Hortence Hernandez, Ag. Officer Commanding, Community Policing Unit

Hortence Hernandez

“What happened, we’re primarily in zone four area. Zone four is one of the biggest and most populated zones in Belize City and we partner with different agencies to come out and give information that is overwhelmingly there’s a need for it in the community.”

Delahnie Bain

“So what are some of these agencies that you’ve partnered with?”

Cpl. Hortence Hernandez

“We have the UNFPA, we have YES, we have Human Services, Women’s Department, we have the medical department. So those are just a few of the agencies that are out here today. But the agencies are out here offering services and for instance, health department they are giving blood pressure test, glucose test, the BMI and so on. And for all the booths like Women’s Department, any woman can come out and find information on what to do in times of need if they’re going through domestic violence and so on. When it comes to Human Services, same thing; you can come out and find information on where to go for help. If you are a child you will know if I’m being abused or if not, where I can basically get help if I need help.”

Delahnie Bain

“Now, I know you have been out here from around nine/nine-thirty this morning; what has been the response in the community so far?”

Cpl. Hortence Hernandez

“The response is what I had expected. As I said, zone four is one of the biggest zones in Belize City and so far, so good. I would like to see more adults. The outturn is mainly students but I would like to see more adults come out and take advantage of this event. I would like the public to know that policing, we’re not just breaking down people’s doors. We need to break down doors, that is part of policing; we have to stop crime, we have to nip it from the bud, but there’s also community policing. We are here doing proactive policing, stopping it before it happens.”

The next community awareness event will be held in zone five, the Lake Independence area.