Home Affairs Leaders Hit the Streets in Belize City

Home Affairs Minister Oscar Mira and CEO Rear Admiral Elton Bennett wasted no time getting to work. On Thursday, they teamed up with Police Commissioner Dr. Richard Rosado for a hands-on tour of three Belize City neighborhoods: George Street, Majestic Alley, and Banak Street. These areas are considered hot spots, known to be controlled by gangs. During the tour, they connected with residents and assessed the policing strategies currently in place in these neighborhoods. Today, we spoke with CEO Bennett about the tour.

 

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, C.E.O., Ministry of Home Affairs

“The Commissioner of Police had invited Minister Mira and myself to join him on a tour in Belize City. The tour served different purposes. It was to give us an appreciation, the minister and myself, as to what the operation looks like. So we were briefed both by the LIU and by the GI3, both the hard and soft approach to crime in Belize City. So the commander of the GI3 was able to show us the gang areas and the challenges that eh face in terms of keeping peace with the different factions in Belize City. We were able to walk narrow alleys, meet different people and go inside houses. The minister was able to interact with those prominent community leaders trying to make a change in Belize City and produce himself as the new minister of home affairs. The Commissioner of Police was able to explain to us his crime fighting strategy in Belize City.  A very important part of our visit was to interact with the LIU. This is a very important program. It delivers a promising hope to Belize City and the different gangs in Belize City. He was able to demonstrate some of the positives coming out of that program. We were able to see one of the persons who were involved in a gang and he was able to show us his business. He is doing a car wash business.”