Discarded Firearms Form Foundation of New Police Station

Imagine a police station built on a foundation of old firearms, that’s exactly what’s happening in Bella Vista. Construction on the new station kicked off last week, and here’s what makes it unique: discarded and damaged gun parts collected over the years are being used in its foundation. It’s a creative way to safely dispose of these items while building something that strengthens community security. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the details.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

What you’re seeing in these videos might look unusual, firearm parts being shoveled into a ditch. But don’t worry, they’re not being buried and forgotten. In fact, they’re about to become part of something new. Over the past three years, the Belize Police Department has collected a huge amount of damaged and discarded gun parts. And now, instead of letting them sit in storage, those pieces will help form the foundation of the new Bella Vista Police Station. Construction is officially underway, and Magistrate Mannon Dennison, who serves on the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board, says this is a smart way to put old parts to good use.

 

Voice of: Magistrate Mannon Dennison, Member, Firearms and Ammunition Control Board

“What is unique about this event is that we will be putting in the foundation discarded and damaged firearm parts, parts that came about as a result of firearm destruction imitative over the past three years. The parts were stored simply because we did not have a way to safely dispose of them. One issue many Caribbean countries have been having is how you dispose of them and that is why we have so much parts accumulating over a period of time, because we do not have a safe way to dispose of them. One suggestion given on one of the training we went on is that when they build government buildings they put the parts in the foundation. That allows for safe disposal in an environmentally friendly manner.”

 

 

 

Belize is a signatory to the Caribbean Firearm Roadmap, which means tossing out old gun parts isn’t as simple as it sounds. In fact, figuring out what to do with damaged and discarded firearm pieces has been a hot topic among CARICOM nations. So, what’s Belize’s solution? According to Jason Francis, Senior Policy Advisor at the Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development, Belize has come up with an innovative approach, and it’s turning heads.

 

 

 

Jason Francis, Senior Policy Advisor, UNLIREC

“Belize has embarked on an innovative initiative by taking those cut pieces of metals and disposing of them in the foundation of a police building here. What that means is that those firearms that have been destroyed will never end up in circulation to harm another Belizean or another individual at all.”

 

 

 

As for the importance of the new police station to the residents of Bella Vista Village, Chairman Jose Morales says the population is growing and the security needs are ever increasing.

 

Jose Morales, Chairman, Bella Vista Village

“We almost have ten thousand people living in our community and as a growing community we believe this centurion of a new police station is a very important project towards our growing community.”

 

 

 

Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa says this construction project is only the start of several new police stations to come, particularly in San Narciso and Santa Elena.

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“Today we are starting the construction of the Bella Vista Police Station which is going to provide security for all of the resident of Bella Vista and surrounding villages and we are extremely excited about this project because it kicks off a series of other police stations that will be constructed across the country, including San Narciso, Santa Elena and much more. In addition to that there is the added benefit of the safe destruction and disposal of so many confiscated firearms that has been accumulated over the last few years.”

 

 

The firearm disposal was witnessed by Magistrate Mannon Dennison. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.