More than 20 gang members detained in State of Emergency Operations, police seeking 30 more

Posted: Thursday, August 19, 2021. 7:52 pm CST.

By BBN Staff: In response to the recent spike in violent crime in Belize City, the government has implemented a State of Emergency (SOE) for the Southside of the city, enabling the Belize Police Department to pick up known criminal figures and haul them off to prison.

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, speaking at a press briefing this evening said that 24 gang members have already been detained in operations which began this morning, and at least 30 more will be apprehended by the end of those operations.

Williams said that the areas named in the SOE include the: “Backa Land” area, which includes everything west of McKay Boulevard in the St. Martin’s area; the Antelope Street Extension area which includes everything south of the George Price Highway and north of Penn Road, West of Central American Boulevard all the way to the Fabers Road roundabout; the Supal Street area which includes everything south of South Creek, west of Fairweather Street, east of Central American Boulevard and goes all the way to the Caribbean Sea; the Rocky Road area and George Street, Mayflower area which encompasses, the whole area north of cemetery road, west of East Collet Canal to Nargusta Street and east of the boulevard.

“While the state of emergency has been declared in these areas, we are going to employ ur best endeavor not to use all the powers given to us in that state of emergency,” Williams said. “We have been targeted in terms of the persons we pick up. It is based on intelligence and only those persons who we have information of…credible information that they are involved in the ongoing street feuds are being picked up.”

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 mаrkеtі[email protected]еаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-601-0315.

© 2021, 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.