“It is not an SOE”: Police, BDF Increase Presence in Belize City

The Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed that police and military forces have intensified joint operations in Belize City following the series of violent incidents last week. Home Affairs CEO Rear Admiral Elton Bennett told News 5 that the department has “increased the tempo of operations” in collaboration with the Belize Defence Force to ‘quell rising tensions’.

Residents can expect to see more officers at checkpoints and hotspots across the city.

“It is not an SOE,” Bennett said. “It’s just below the threshold of SOE. We believe that we can find that spot just below the threshold of SOE that we can be effective operationally. Where if we employ the right forces in the right location and with the right missions, we will be able to address some of those crimes that are committed without having to go to SOE.”

He said the operations are targeted at specific areas across Belize City rather than applied citywide, adding that no one’s rights or freedom of movement are being restricted.

Bennett acknowledged that the “hard approach” of law enforcement and military presence is only one part of the solution and that efforts to address the root causes of crime must continue alongside it.

The duration of the enhanced security measures remains unclear.