In the fight against gangs, police balance being tough with being fair

By Aaron Humes: Belize has once again passed the 100 mark for murders in a year for the seventh consecutive year since 2013, though as a whole the number is down from last year.

While gang violence has as a whole been reduced, there are still frequent flare-ups, the latest occurring over the weekend which claimed one life and injured four. What is notable is that it took place at the site of an effort to change the dynamic – the St Martin One Auto Auto Care Shop.

And while its victims have said publicly that they will not be swayed back to the dark side, Police Commissioner Chester Williams chimed in hours after the incident to give them credit while calling out those opposed to them.

“I can see that the crowd from the PIV area, particularly those who are involved in the hub that the US Embassy recently established for them, are trying their best to change their lifestyle and to be different. But, while they’re trying to change their lifestyles and be different, the other side is coming and taunting them, and shooting at them. And so, something needs to be done,” he told reporters.

The Commissioner added that his Department is always on the side of right and addressing the violence being wrongfully perpetuated by certain elements. As to loved ones of the accused, he stated bluntly, “You cannot expect to raise your child in such a way that he becomes a gang member or a murderer and expect that the police is going to change them, or expect the government is going to change them. I think that parents need to play a more active role, as well as girlfriends if it is that we want to see these young men change. And once we continue to live that lifestyle where the mothers and the girlfriends are condoning the illegal activities of these young men, they’re never going to change because they do have support from people who supposedly love them.”

The Police have not given up, but the Commissioner warned that he is sworn to “pluck out the bad apples from among the good ones,” and that “very soon, some of them are going to get what they’re looking for…No one can say that we had not tried other avenues.”

Those avenues include mediation by the Conscious Youth Development Program (CYDP) and long-time social worker Nuri Muhammad. In some cases, they have worked, said Williams; in others, they have not.

The Police in Eastern Division met this week to re-strategize operational plans, and in the case of the Banak/Mayflower/Lakeview conflagration last Friday, have made arrests of some of those involved, who even targeted police in their antics.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.

© 2020, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.