Crackdown in Lake-I: Officers Flood Streets After Attacks

Earlier this month, Belize City saw a surge in police presence, and for good reason. Gun violence spiked in the Lake Independence area, leaving residents on edge. On December tenth, two minors and a sixty-year-old woman were shot on M and J Street near La Croix Boulevard. That came just a week after the tragic murder of fifteen-year-old Eric Reyes on Park Street. In response, police have stepped up operations to restore calm. Today, we spoke with Eastern Division Commander, Senior Superintendent Reymundo Reyes, who shared more on what’s being done to keep the streets safe.

 

Sr. Superintendent Reymundo Reyes, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“It is not only actually within Lake Independence, it’s all over the city. We end up to restrategize our patron patrols. We see more operations being carried out right now as we speak on the grounds, and that is just to ensure the safety of the residents. We all know it is a minimal number of people giving us work. So we are targeting these individuals on a daily basis at this.”

 

Britney Gordon

“And what do those operations look like? What kind of authority are we seeing out there?”

 

Sr. Superintendent Reymundo Reyes

“We have right now we do have the BDF on the ground, but they’re doing those certain areas. Lake-I patrol, the officers from the gang operation unit, the special patrol unit, the mobile interdiction unit. And our teams are the officers who are doing the whole searches, empty lot searches in order to try get drugs and firearm after.”

 

Britney Gordon

“And are we seeing a success in the bringing those crime risk?

 

Sr. Superintendent Reymundo Reyes

“Yes, definitely a good result. So we intend to continue until the rest of year.”