CARSI revs up with 10 motorcycles for police

The Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) has donated close to thirty vehicles and twenty motorcycles to the police department. Earlier today the U.S. Embassy another donation via the CARSI program, ten Honda XR-250 motorcycles valued at eighty-two thousand dollars.  The motorcycles will be deployed in Belize City and rural areas where violent crimes such as aggravated burglaries are on the rise.

Barry Cuthbertson, Program Specialist, CARSI

Barry Cuthbertson

“We’re donating ten motorcycles. Those will be utilized in the new precinct policing program that is being formulated right now in our city here. We found that the ability of police to respond immediately has been great success since we donated the ten vehicles, the trucks. We found that there are far more arrest occurring in the city because the police were actually able to respond, be on the scene immediately when the crimes are occurring.”

Jose Sanchez

“You mentioned the city, so these have a specific target area as far as the US is concerned?”

Barry Cuthbertson

“Yeah a large portion of them, seven I believe, are actually going tob e based right here in Belize City. An eighth one will be in the prosecution branch in assisting them to deliver summons.”

Miguel Segura

ACP Miguel Segura, Head of Eastern Division

“I’d like to acknowledge for the donation through the CARSI project for these equipments, these motorcycle, at a much needed time. How we plan to utilize them; it’s for the city. Some of them will be here and then also for the rural area because we have seen some type of violent crimes moving into those villages. So the concept here is to have some to be kept within the city and some to be moved to the rural areas.”

Jose Sanchez

“Now that you’ve mentioned the rural areas, I know this past week, we’ve seen violence regarding foreigners living in close by villages. How are those investigations coming along?”

ACP Miguel Segura

“The investigation is still underway. What we know for a fact, the investigators are following some leads in respect of the items. So they are still under investigation.”

Jose Sanchez

“Is there any other arrangements made other than placement?”

Barry Cuthbertson

“Certainly we have a big concern about fleet management. Queen Street Police station here has one of the finest fleet managements that has been put in recently. And they actually keep track of every vehicle, its maintenance requirement, refueling, they make sure it gets washed every shift. So yes there is plan for that and the police has been excellent at providing that service.”