LIU Steps in to Calm Tensions on Waight Street

A team from the Leadership Intervention Unit (LIU) has been deployed to Waight Street in Belize City to help ease rising tensions in the area following a fatal shooting.

On New Year’s Eve, 45-year-old Ian Athurs was shot dead at the corner of Waight Street and Faber’s Road. 

“We try to put our mediation tactics to play and we try to support the police as they do their suppression tactics,” said Andrew Dawson, Acting Director of the LIU. “We interview the respective persons within these communities and see how we can create some type of conversation where we can de-escalate the situation as they arise.”

Dawson explained that the work, which they call conflict tracing, involves visiting individuals in the community to gather information and open dialogue. When asked about the difficulty of the work, Dawson admitted it can be challenging. “It’s very difficult because what we do isn’t something that is very popular. It’s always said that we wanna negotiate with the criminal, with the gangsters,” he said.

He added that the team’s focus goes beyond immediate incidents. “At the end of the day, we have to understand that these persons are faced with very various social issues. “Dawson said.

Beyond mediation, the LIU also runs community beautification programmes. About 350 young people are enrolled, working to clean lots, parks, and playgrounds. “Changing the community’s environment affects how people think. It gives residents a sense of pride, a sense of ownership,” Dawson said.

He says communities welcome the projects, recognising that the LIU provides a safe space for individuals to have conversations and air out their different feelings. 

“We understand it takes a village, and we do our part as a leadership intervention unit to ensure that there’s a peaceful community.”