New Police Minister Briefed on Current Crime Trends Across Belize

Julius Espat may only have three months at the helm of Home Affairs, but he does not intend to simply keep the seat warm. The new minister is moving quickly to get a handle on crime and policing, starting with the numbers. Today, Espat met with the Belize Police Department’s CompStat team for a briefing on current crime trends, before sitting down with commanders from the western formation to review criminal activity and the effectiveness of policing strategies over the first half of 2026. With only a short window in the portfolio, Espat says the goal is to identify what is working, what is not, and where immediate changes can be made.

 

Julius Espat, Minister, Home Affairs

“It’s the first meeting of that type that I’ve been in. Very informative. They show you statistics of what has happened in, they call it quarters. And so they’re just everybody giving a report depending on the quarter. It was for the west. Next week I’ll do the same for the eastern division, and then we continue. Yeah. But for me, it’s very informative.”

 

Shane Williams

“What are you seeing from the most recent quarters?”

 

Julius Espat

“The west looks pretty good, I mean, to be honest with you. And the statistics shows that from what they’re reporting, crime is down for the quarter – the first two quarters of twenty-six. It gives you– make you feel optimistic. I haven’t seen the Belize City one yet, so, and that will happen next week. But what we’re seeing here is not bad.”

 

BPD’s Violence Prevention Team Deployed to Troubled Areas

 

Belize City and the eastern region remain major pressure points for police, and while Minister of Home Affairs Julius Espat says he has not yet reviewed the latest crime figures, the department is already making a move. Police have rolled out a new Violence Prevention and Enforcement Team, bringing together officers from the Special Patrol Unit in the Eastern Division and San Pedro. The team will be led by ASP Rodney Jones, who will report to Senior Superintendent Christopher Noble. Espat describes the adjustment as a minor one, but says he is leaning on the experience of both current and former law enforcement leaders to shape the next steps in Belize’s crime-fighting strategy.

 

Julius Espat, Minister of Home Affairs

“Not, not drastic changes yet. I am still familiarizing myself with the personnel and with the system of operation. We made one – two adjustments, one in San Pedro and one in Belize City. We’re just trying something a bit different and hopefully it works. And then every week we are sitting down to analyze it to see how it’s working and if it’s effective. If it’s not, then we’ll make adjustments again.”

 

Shane Williams

“Being thrown into a ministry like this, what’s the brain trust like that you rely on?”

 

Julius Espat

“Huh. A lot! Right now I’m going to a lunch meeting with all the ex-commissioners. I requested to sit with them: one, to give them the respect that they deserve. Two, to see if they have any advice for us and I’ll be doing that at all levels of the police, both police officers that are presently in the formation and others that have retired. We have a vast wealth of knowledge out there. We just don’t seem to want to tap into it, so that’s what we’re trying to do. So as much information, as much people I can speak to give you varying ideas then you put it on the table and then we come to an agreement here and then hopefully we execute it for the benefit of the people of Belize.”

 

Infrastructure Minister Takes on Police Precinct Problems

 

Police can change formations and roll out new strategies, but none of it works if the officers on the ground feel neglected. That is the challenge now facing Minister of Home Affairs Julius Espat. As he tours precincts across the country, Espat says he is seeing firsthand how poor working conditions have affected morale inside the Belize Police Department. And because he also holds the Infrastructure portfolio, he may be in a rare position to do more than just acknowledge the problem. Tonight, the focus shifts from crime plans and command structures to the men and women expected to carry them out.

 

Shane Williams

“Where all have you visited and what have you seen?”

 

Julius Espat, Minister, Home Affairs

“Not even close to what needs to be done. I did some of the areas down south. I’ve done this area in the west. I have done a portion of the eastern division, but there’s a lot more to do. You can’t do all of that in three months, but we take it one day at a time.”

 

Shane Williams

“But we have seen since you’ve assumed the responsibility, we have already seen work being done on some compounds.”

 

Julius Espat

“Well that is the easy part. That’s what we do at MIDH and so the staff came to me and said, ‘We would like to help.’ So no problem. We’re serving the entire country. So each district unit has been given the instruction to go to each police station and see what we can do to help alleviate the concerns that they have when it pertains to infrastructure. So we are doing basic yard cleaning, picking up garbage. I am getting an estimate as to how to refurbish them. I will be seeking assistance from the business community to assist us with paint. And then I told the police force we will get assistance with the paint but you will put in the labor and they have agreed.”

 

Ministerial Overlap Gives Police Rare Opportunity to Fix Years of Neglect

 

For the next three months, the Belize Police Department has something it has long needed: direct access to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. With Julius Espat holding both that portfolio and Home Affairs on an interim basis, police are hoping to make the most of the short window. Across the department, leaking roofs, broken bathrooms, and aging precincts have been dragging down morale. Now, officers are looking to Espat to help deliver quick, visible fixes. For the police, it is a timely partnership. For Espat, it is a brief assignment, but one he says he intends to make count.

 

Julius Espat, Minister, Home Affairs

“That’s the formula. We have to work as one family. Everybody has to put in their pound of flesh to make where they work brought up to a level that’s acceptable. And we will look to see how we can assist them in all their needs as best as possible. And in return, we are asking that you be disciplined and that you serve the people as best as you can.”

 

Shane Williams

“Now this seems like a perfect marriage but unfortunately it’s a three-month engagement term. Are you concerned about what will happen when you leave this ministry with the expectation that you’ve been setting?”

 

Julius Espat

“I told the CompStat team here I am permanently the minister for three months. We’ll take it one day at a time. At the end of the three months, I’ll give the Prime Minister and Cabinet a report as to what we have found, what we see, what we believe should be done and then the Prime Minister in his wisdom will decide who takes over.”

 

The Prime Minister is planning to make a decision on the Minister of Home Affairs after the completion of the Ministry of Defence audit. Three months was the expected timeline before the scope of the investigation doubled from five to ten years. 

 

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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