Belize Police Department Implements New Strategy to Combat Crime

Belize City has been grappling with a wave of violence and tonight, police say they’re changing the way they fight crime. The Belize Police Department is rolling out new strategies aimed at modernizing operations and upgrading technology. It’s all part of an effort to refocus, restructure, and rebuild the strength of the department. Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith shared how these reforms are designed to curb the rising crime and restore public confidence.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“I know that certain changes will be observed over the course of this week and weeks to come as it relates to police’s operational effort. They are all in line with the 2025, 2029 strategic plan to modernize and reform and refocus the practices of the police department in its effort to give citizens what they do deserve, which is a feeling of safety and security. So certainly you guys will be observing changes which are not solely limited to operational changes, but we’ve also been investing in technology because truthfully, those are in some of the past arrests that we’ve made, in terms of the shooting in, by Horizon, as well as the shooting by Old Belize, which resulted in the depth of Mr. Barrow is police’s use of those technological resources that we have. I say all this to say that the police department remains resolute in its decision and its mandate to fight crime and to ensure that each citizen feels safe when they, things that they’re going about their daily lives.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Has the department over the last two weeks changed its position on the state of emergency, which is that it necessary at that time?”

 

Stacy Smith

“The position remains the same as of now.”

 

Reporter

“Can you tell us anything about the SPU reassigned?”

 

Stacy Smith

“As I would have alluded to earlier, the changes that we are observing and we will continue to observe over the coming weeks is a part of the department’s strategy. 2025 2029 to refocus, to rebuild and restructure the department. And we are ensuring that whilst we have a lot units, what we’ve noted that some of them, we have annex duties on to them that were not traditionally within their mandate and in an effort to refocus, rebuild and strategize. There are decisions that are being made with a view to ensuring the safety that all these, and populists and those visiting are entitled to.”