Community policing is taking on new life in Belmopan, where law enforcement officials are planning to host a farming camp for youths which will take them out into the fields, literally. Belmopan’s Commanding Officer Howell Gillett says that what he sees happening in other parts of the country, he wouldn’t want to see happen to […]
Statistically, violent crimes in Belize City are down, despite an increase in murders across the country. While the Old Capital remains the center of gang activity, homicides in the districts have also seen an uptick when compared to the same period in 2015. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, the police department is […]
After a brief hiatus, Belize’s signature culinary event was held at the Muffles Auditorium in Orange Walk on Saturday. Taste of Belize 2016 saw great competition between culinary talents in Amateur Cook, Cupcake Decorating, Cake Decorating, Bartending and Master Chef Categories. The all-day event brought local and international foodies to the auditorium, giving them an […]
Over the weekend, Eastern Division South hosted a basketball tournament on the court at the Yarborough Green on south side Belize City. The community policing initiative is aimed at bringing together youths caught up in crime in an effort to mitigate criminal activities in the city. ACP Chester Williams explains. ACP Chester Williams, Regional […]
The newly convened National Youth Council of Belize has weighed in on the escalating gang violence in the city which resulted in the brazen, brutal murders of three young men in just four hours. In a release issued on Thursday, the NYCB states that, “Our main objective is to look at the wider interest of […]
In recent days Belizeans have seen perhaps the greatest effort expended to curb violence, led by the active interventions between rival gangs. But it’s also been a frustrating and heartbreaking effort for those involved, as youths continue to fall in a hail of lead on city streets. Youth Council President Stafin Duncan says he’s seen […]
Summer camps are popping up all over the city, but a camp targeting at-risk youths concluded today with an all day sports tournament. Organized by the Conscious Youth Development Program, the activities help in teaching the participants discipline and life skills. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, Reporting Children under the age of […]
This morning, representatives from various media houses converged at the Eastern Division South Headquarters on Raccoon Street to participate in a special intervention with the police department. The purpose of the workshop was for us out to put on the table concerns that have arisen as a result of recent friction with the brass of […]
Today, various entities dedicated to the important work of preserving and protecting our natural heritage presented what they are calling a reef scorecard. It’s all about getting Belize’s Barrier Reef System off the World Heritage Site’s endangered list, where it has languished since 2009. So is enough being done to ensure that happens anytime soon? […]
The gist of the report card session today is that the government is doing some things right, but there is more that needs to be done, and more that needs to be done sooner rather than later. So what exactly is the holdup? Valentino Shal, World Wildlife Fund “If you look 2009 to now […]
Of the six indicators, G.O.B. received the worst marks in the area of environmental regulations. Candy Gonzalez was scathing in her evaluation, and told News Five that recent projects have shown that developers have a definite impact on the decisions made by the Department of the Environment. Candy Gonzalez, President, Belize Institute of Environmental […]
And while developers have an impact on the movement by G.O.B. entities like the Department of the Environment, Gonzalez says there is also a definite impact on the N.G.O. community – a sort of double play by the developers and by the government. Candy Gonzalez, President, Belize Institute of Environmental Law & Policy “I […]
Community Policing meets Social Media in the Rural Eastern Division…it’s a brand new concept which seems to have taken off in grand style. Faced with having to deal with a jurisdiction with thirty-two communities spread over many miles, the cops from the RED turned to Whatsapp for help and held the first of its kind […]
And the innovation coming out of the Rural Eastern Division doesn’t end with that community meeting. That formation is also looking to keep youths occupied over the summer, with a payday at the end that will keep on paying them for some time to come. It’s a collaboration with the RED and different partners including […]
Last week, we introduced you to three teens who were a part of the 2016 graduating class of Stella Maris School. It is a big year for the school as all, but one of the graduates was moving on to another school or skills program. Our three featured graduates all had different plans following graduation. […]
On July twelfth, ten working days after the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration was handed down, G.O.B. will need to make a payment of about one hundred and ninety-five million dollars to the Ashcroft Group. That’s only half of what G.O.B. must pay for its acquisition of Belize Telemedia Limited in 2009; the […]
The Prime Minister has vilified the Accommodation Agreement signed between B.T.L. and the P.U.P. administration of 2005. In fact, it’s been a main platform of every government campaign since 2008. But Courtenay says that propaganda aside, the incredible thing is that G.O.B. has never once challenged the validity of the agreement in Court and that’s […]
At his press conference last week, Prime Minister Barrow claimed sweet victory and vindication on one particular point of the settlement – a claim that G.O.B. will have total access to sixty percent of the entire award, the portion paid for the Accommodation Agreement. According to the P.M., that money will be used to pay […]
So with all that said, can Courtenay himself be criticized for coming out so strongly against the settlement when he was one of the lead attorneys in the protracted litigation? He told us that he’s been accused of worse things and has no apology to make. Eamon Courtenay, Senator, People’s United Party “Nobody is […]
There is trouble brewing at the Social Security Board tonight, at the highest levels. First, there’s a memo indicating that C.E.O. Richard Flowers has opted to not renew his contract which expires on July twenty-ninth. According to the memo, circulated to staff, “the C.E.O. has been asked to remain on board during the transition and […]
Is there a falling-out between the media and the Belize Police Department? On Monday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, during a routine press brief, was openly critical of our colleagues over at Channel Seven. In fact, ACP Williams went as far as saying that the managing director of that particular media house is of […]
Eamon Courtenay is also the attorney for Smart, currently waiting for a judgment in a case against the Public Utilities Commission at the Caribbean Court of Justice. It involves the payment of fees for what is called a point to point link. Smart claims that they are being grossly overcharged for the license. There’s an […]
Emergency Medical Technicians from across various occupations are completing a refresher course this week. The review program is put together by the Belize Emergency Response Team. According to National Coordinator Yvette Burkes, it is necessary for EMTs to constantly update their knowledge and skill sets. The cohort of responders is the second of three groups […]
Walter Santos, an EMT employed at Belize Natural Energy Limited, is among the group of technicians. The update, he says, is necessary since his line of work in the oil and gas industry is quite dangerous. Walter Santos, EMT, Belize Natural Energy Ltd. “One of the things that we have to do yearly is […]
The outstanding men and women of the Belize Police Department from various precincts across Belize City were awarded today for exceptional work in community policing and other aspects of law enforcement. It is the second of a quarterly ceremony acknowledging the stellar efforts of these officers. This afternoon, ACP Chester Williams and Belize City Mayor […]
