New Liquor Laws Proposed, But Who Will Enforce Them?

For years, Belize’s nightlife has changed, businesses have expanded, and neighborhoods have grown around bars, clubs and restaurants. But the liquor laws governing them have barely kept pace. Now, government wants to modernize the system, with proposed reforms covering licensing, noise, enforcement and opening hours. At Tuesday night’s public consultation at the House of Culture, though, residents made it clear that their concerns go beyond what is written in law. They want to know who will make sure the rules are actually followed. News Five’s Shane Williams reports.

 

Shane Williams, Reporting

“I’m standing in front of the All-Saints Primary School inaugurated in February of 1958 by Bishop Brooks. This is home to hundreds of children between the ages of five to thirteen-years-old. If you look to the left of me, you will see one of the city’s popular alcohol selling “restaurants”, and to the right is one of those happy hour hangout spots, alcohol selling “supermarket”. In truth, there are more than five alcohol selling establishments just a stone’s throw away from this school. It’s complaints like these that were raised at last night’s liquor license consultation in Belize City.

 

Kings Park Resident

“We have five clubs within the school range of one hundred feet. Yep. And this is one of the problem that my residents in Kings Park are complaining most of the time, and Sixth Street as well. Also recently, Chill spot on Bayman, since I came across some member in that area, are complaining to me about this shooting incident two weeks ago and that place still they operate like nothing happens.”

 

Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner says many of those businesses were licensed decades ago. He says today’s City Council has adopted a policy of not approving new liquor licenses near schools or places of worship.

 

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor

“The new applications that come to the board, in respect to schools, churches, that we keep those in context and we try to ensure that we don’t grant any sort of liquor license in those areas. Of course, you may have established businesses that have been there for some time. And so any changes in the legislation or amendments we’ll have to look at how we grandfather those in.”

 

While proximity to schools and churches remains a concern, residents quickly shifted the conversation to what many described as the bigger issue, enforcement. A Wilson Street resident recounted one of many sleepless nights after loud music from a nearby nightclub continued well into the early morning hours. He says when he called police for help, he was told there was nothing they could do.

 

Wilson Street Resident

“My grandmother lives upstairs of my residence. She’s ninety-nine years old. I went to bed at nine, woke up at four and the music was still playing. I could hear the music from my bed. I took a video, I called the police, and they said there’s nothing they can do because they have a permit. This is four in the morning, right? Put on my shoes, put on my shirt, gone to the club, and I asked them, “Where is the permit for you all to be operating after four o’clock? Because I got there after four, and the club was still going. I was met with police who took out pepper spray and warned me to, to step away.”

 

That experience resonated with others in the room who faced similar threats for questioning whether existing rules are being properly enforced.

 

Kings Park Resident

“I have repeatedly reported this to our chat. I’m not afraid to say it because I received threatening from somebody, I noh wa mention name, that they will do me something, but I care less.”

 

Linsford Rosado operates an open air establishment. He argues that the proposed reforms appear heavily focused on bars and nightclubs, while overlooking another longstanding concern.

 

Linsford Rosado, Owner, Thirsty Thursdays

“The reform seems to be one-sided. I haven’t heard anything about the shops that are selling liquor to minors even. As you walk in a any shop in a Belize, and I don’t want to single out Chinese, but they have the most shop. As you walk in, the first thing you see is alcohol. And when we start to talk about nightlife, I have a lot of experience and a lot I think I could contribute. But I want to start off the discussion by saying that this is not a night problem. It’s a day problem. It’s a Sunday problem because liquor is being sold hand over fist in a every small shop in a this country. Bad man and otherwise.”

 

Officials from the Ministry of Local Government say feedback gathered from consultations across the country will help shape comprehensive reforms to Belize’s liquor licensing laws, with the goal of creating a modern system that better balances business interests with the quality of life of surrounding communities. Shane Williams for News Five.

 

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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