Belizean citizen asks to revisit Gun Law

Russell Roberts

Official statistics on violent crimes in Belize have yet to be released, but at least where murders are concerned, there has been a dramatic decrease. Police attribute a large part of the success of crime-fighting efforts to increased community outreach and support. And there has been more collaboration between residents and Police. But there are also incidents which continue to erode public confidence in and trust of Police Officers. One emerging advocate in Belize City is enraged at two recent incidents…the first in which Belmopan resident, Anwar Zetina, was detained by Police and released without being charged after the intervention of senior officers. The second is the Reynaldo Verde situation. An illegal firearm was found on Verde’s property last week, but he was released without charges after senior officers allegedly interceded for him. Russell Roberts say incidents like those make justice ineffective. He also asks that the firearm laws be revisited, and he is willing to lobby support for his stance.

Russell Roberts, Advocate

“You have cases whereby one person own up to it and the rest still go da jail but fi some others because they have friends in high places they get off. They have two cases that strike me and really burn me is the Verde case and the young guy Zetina in Belmopan. He got caught driving without license acting out, go on bad, the curse the police they and they intervene and he come out without a charge. Then you have Mr. Verde he get charge with an attempted murder; he have two gun license. A man like that noh business fih have no gun license, you have to deal with business people, if you mi the deal with business people and I am a business man I noh mi wahn want do nothing for him because if you ask me he would intimidate, you done know what he into and how the Public Service Union and they not even look into that because they bally still deh round. Those are cases you have to look into, the system and also some of the peoples so it goes on both ways, it’s like I say it’s something we can’t just let go, am asking the social partners, the churches, t he unions, everybody come out and try make we change this for the better fih all ah we because if it’s for one it’s for all. It can’t be just for a few; we have to look into this and get this changed.”

Mike Rudon

“What kind of advocacy you have in mind to get your message across? I know you already start by coming to the media but what else do you have in mind?”

Russell Roberts

“We are planning a demonstration or a protest, something of that sort to try get awareness to the government or whoever is willing to listen to us or look into this because I see where many innocent people are going to jail and for a few they are getting off scotch free.”

There is a documented case where an entire family was locked down and remanded without bail because of one bullet found in their proximity. There is also a case where a pregnant woman was remanded at the Belize Central Prison for a firearm stashed in the home she was visiting.  Those cases, and many others, draw particular scrutiny to the amazing dexterity of persons who manage to evade the many tentacles of the firearm act because of friends in high places.