Nine Behind Bars Under SOE; ComPol Rosado Signals More to Come

Police are making it clear, the State of Emergency is already in motion, and enforcement is ramping up. At a press briefing this afternoon, Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado described the measure as targeted, saying it’s designed to respond to what he called “extraordinary circumstances.” So far, nine individuals have been detained under the SOE and transported to the Belize Central Prison. And this may be just the beginning. The commissioner warned that more detentions could follow if authorities deem it necessary.’

 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police

“On Friday May eight, 2026, after a careful security assessment and intelligence on the ground a request was made for the state of emergency which was subsequently declared for certain part of Belize City and Rural Belize District. As a result of the state of emergency a total of nine individuals were transported a few minutes ago to the Kobe Foundation. I want to highlight that the decision was not made lightly for the state of emergency, but we believe it was absolutely necessary based on the intelligence we have gathered and on the ground assessment that indicated an imminent danger to life and property. Hence the recommendation was made, and it was subsequently declared. Our operational plan continues to be in effect. We have made some adjustment to our operational plan or enhanced our operational plan to improve the safety of the residents. But I can assure the law abiding citizens that they have nothing to worry about in reference to the state of emergency as the SOE is targeted and specific to certain individuals and does not affect the law abiding citizen in any way.”

 

SOE Playbook in Action as Police Target Suspected Killers

 

The State of Emergency isn’t simply a declaration; it also comes with a playbook, and police say they’re following it closely. Statutory Instrument 50 lays out how the crackdown works, giving officers the framework to enforce the new measures on the ground. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones, operations will be targeted and driven by intelligence. In fact, he says many of those already detained are not random picks, they’re individuals linked to recent shootings and murders, as police zero in on those they believe are fueling the violence.

 

Bart Jones, Deputy Commissioner of Police

“It is no different or substantially different than the other regulations that accompanies previous states of emergencies. But what you are going to see differently is that based on prior intelligence, persons will be detained and questioned and if the needs arise for them to be detained beyond the normal questioning then detention orders will be issued in respect to them. So it will not be operated as a carte blanche wholesale detention of persons, but based on intelligence, interviews, based on current investigations. Many of the persons currently detained are not only in relation to gang offences, but are also suspects in some of the recent and earlier shooting incidents and murders. So it is more targeted and focused than we have done it before. The regulation sets out, and it has always been the case, it sets out that persons gathering more than three persons in the declared area becomes an offence. However now and in the past we are ensuring that is executed sparingly. We have rarely had complaints in the past in SOEs where some of these provisions were executed by the police. It is again, based on intelligence. People will say if the recent shootings are in Belize City, why do other areas of the Belize Rural included. That is because based on our intelligence there are operatives or persons within the Belize City area who from time to time visit or would resort to these areas that are spelt out in the regulations.”

 

SOE Showdown: Critics Challenge Legality of Emergency Measures

 

While the state of emergency is back under the spotlight, so is the debate surrounding it. In the past, the Belize Police Department has faced sharp criticism over its use of SOEs to fight crime. So, why return to this controversial tool now? We put that question directly to Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado. And there’s another concern gaining traction, some argue that these measures push the boundaries of the Constitution. Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith weighed in on that issue, defending the department’s position. Here’s what they had to say.

 

Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police

“The State of Emergency of activation of state of emergency is an extra ordinary legal tool to combat an extraordinary circumstances that traditional policing alone cannot neutralize and I believe that it is an indication of strategic strength, proactive leadership, rather than sitting down and having business as usual. It shows that as a department we are committed to doing whatever it takes to return normalcy to the streets.”

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“The SOE is a creature of the constitution so the constitution cannot be inconsistent within itself. We have had three judgment of recent that speaks to SOE. The first one clearly stated the situation at hand warranted the SOE. The second one acknowledged  that while SOEs can be called for certain situation, the court was not satisfied that the evidence brought before it was sufficient. And in the most recent one the court also affirmed that when situations reaches a level where there is an immediate threat or danger the calling of an SOE is something that is constitutional. So I wish to disabuse persons minds that SOEs in itself is unconstitutional.”

 

The state of emergency will remain in effect for a thirty-day period and can be extended by the National Assembly if the need arises.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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