Communication Breakdown Clouds Caye Caulker Police Station Plans

A local dispute is quickly becoming a political crisis. The proposed police station in Caye Caulker is now drawing attention well beyond the island, as pending redistricting puts it within the Fort George constituency. Area Representative Henry Charles Usher says he’s been closely monitoring the situation as concerns continue to grow. And while residents aren’t necessarily fighting the idea of a police station, questions about how the project was handled are fueling the debate. Usher points to what he calls a breakdown in communication, saying local authorities should have been part of the conversation from the very beginning.

 

Henry Charles Usher, Area Representative, Fort George

“I certainly agree that there was a lack of communication in the beginning. I do believe that the duly elected village council should have been consulted. There should have been a meeting to discuss the plans. I don’t necessarily think that it’s a bad idea what is happening. I think that the police station will be built. Whether it is built there or built somewhere else, the island will be getting a modern police station. Now, if you want to look at other amenities at the island that the residents of Caye Caulker are looking at, ’cause I’ve heard that they’re speaking about a welcome center or something to that effect then certainly that discussion has to happen. But where the police station is built is less important than the fact that it’s going to be built. And I think that is important. But in the beginning, that information should have been communicated and there should have been a proper dialogue with the relevant authorities out there.”

 

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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