Police department getting more boots on the ground; Over 200 new officers to be enlisted

Published by BBNTEAM at March 23, 2023

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Posted: Thursday, March 23, 2023. 5:36 pm CST.

By Benjamin Flowers: The Government of Belize has budgeted $5 million to see the expansion of the Belize Police Department, to add more than 200 new officers, according to Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries, Kareem Musa.

Musa said this week that the department is set to enlist a total of 225 new officers, which he described as a necessity as the department “continues operations to flush out rogue, corrupt, and abusive police officers.”

Musa went on to say that the incoming officers all have a minimum of a high school diploma and clean criminal records, noting that these were not requirements under the last administration.

He added that the new officers will be trained under a curriculum that “focuses on de-escalation, proper use of force, community policing, and respect for the human rights of the citizenry.”

Musa noted that under his leadership the police department has made several changes including disbanding two units known for committing rights violations – the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) and the Strike Team, and many of the officers from those units under the highest levels of scrutiny, with some of them, even leaving the department.

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