Posted: Wednesday, July 2, 2025. 10:29 am CST.
By Zoila Palma: Today, the Caye Caulker Village Council issued a statement denouncing the “escalating level of violence and abuse of authority towards our youth and many of our citizens in Caye Caulker by the local police department, which ironically, should be here to protect all of us, not just some of us.”
The council says that it stands in solidarity with those who have no voice or resources to protect themselves from people in authority.
“Caye Caulker citizens will recall that there seems to be a cycle of gradual escalation of youth being abused, beaten or assaulted by officers with little to no consequences. Each summit of this cycle has led to the death of one of our young men. 10 years ago, a similar incident finally gave the country and those in our community pause for concern and understandable outrage. As a community and your local authority, we cannot however, remain committed and against violence if we respond with violence,” the council added.
“Community Policing should mean protecting every citizen. Those who wish to become police officers should do so for the right reasons. It is to protect others and find every means they can to prevent and de-escalate violence. We feel that it is a point of obvious consideration, that not every citizen will be well behaved and not every citizen will have the capacity to conduct themselves in a manner that an officer may find respectful. Protecting a community involves knowing and understanding that those in a community may break laws, but anyone breaking a law does not automatically lose their right to life, safety, and security,” the council further said.
The village council says that while it recognizes the difficulties of policing and the commendable work of officers, this cannot justify lack of integrity.
“In this regard, we must make it clear that there is no justifiable reason for an unarmed young man to lose their life in a confrontation, regardless of their previous actions. By law, the punishment for any crimes is not death. This obviously includes a teenage brawl,” the council said.
The council is calling on relevant authorities Ministerial and judicial to ensure this is not “swept under the rug.”
“The Village Council has received multiple reports of officers conducting themselves in a manner no different than bullies, gang members, and thugs. They do not deserve our trust, and some of them only offer discredit to a uniform that should be held to a higher standard. We will do our best to follow up on this manner, using every means we can. Justice must prevail,” the statement ended.
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The post Caye Caulker Village Council denounces violence and calls on relevant authorities for justice appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Wednesday, July 2, 2025. 10:29 am CST. By Zoila Palma: Today, the Caye Caulker Village Council issued a statement denouncing the “escalating level of violence
The post Caye Caulker Village Council denounces violence and calls on relevant authorities for justice appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
