Posted: Tuesday, July 23, 2024. 8:56 pm CST.
By Aaron Humes: A majority of the Senate meeting today in Belmopan agreed to pass a resolution brought from the House of Representatives to extend a State of Emergency declared by the Governor-General on June 24 for a further two months, through September 24, 2024.
The proclamation recognized conditions in part of Belize City and the villages of Cotton Tree and Roaring Creek, Cayo District that precipitated it, namely a series of shootings and murders involving gang figures as well as direct attacks on the Police Department itself in the shooting up of a police station and the house of Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.
But Opposition Senator and former Minister of National Security Michael Peyrefitte argued as the United Democratic Party has long done, that the problem starts at the top with Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa and Commissioner Williams, whom he says the gangsters do not fear or respect: “What you have is a minister of police who is not made for that job. What you have is a minister of home affairs who the gang elements, quite frankly, are, do not possess a healthy fear for. They don’t respect him. So as long as you have that person as the face of your home affairs and face of the police department, they will continue to laugh at the administration. The Prime Minister needs to appoint a proper minister of home affairs to take care of business and to let the criminal elements know that we are not playing any games with them.”
He further defended the UDP’s use of States of Emergency, particularly during the COVID era, as a means of giving officers time to rest. A State of Emergency was declared in March of that year which ran concurrently to the lengthy lockdowns instituted as a result of COVID-19 that included curfews and police arresting individuals for various violations.
Leader of Government Business Senator Eamon Courtenay contended that the strategy worked because this declaration was more targeted than previous attempts: “This was intelligence driven. It was targeted, surgical, to disrupt a turf war that was taking place. The reduction in crime in those areas is proof that the intelligence was right. And the measure was appropriate.”
But non-aligned Senators said more needed to be done. Senator for Business Kevin Herrera cited the culture of “intimidation” gangs have brought to the country: “The culture that these gangs have created Madam President, is one of intimidation and violence. It has left a significant physical impact on this country, but not only physical; there is also a tremendous psychological effect. People live in fear.”
Bishop Moses Benguche, Senator for the Churches, acknowledged that drugs and gang turf wars are the issue and asked for a concrete plan: “…one of the things that must be done in this, in this day and age is to be able to come up with a strategic plan in fighting crime. And when I say that, it must not only be the state of emergency…”
And Senator Glenfield Dennison for the trade unions questioned whether the accused would have their time in court as required by law, warning that significant penalties lay ahead if any violations were found to have occurred.
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The post Senate endorses extension of state of emergency in Belize City and east-central Cayo amid wider crime discussion appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Tuesday, July 23, 2024. 8:56 pm CST. By Aaron Humes: A majority of the Senate meeting today in Belmopan agreed to pass a resolution brought
The post Senate endorses extension of state of emergency in Belize City and east-central Cayo amid wider crime discussion appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
