Police Defend Repeated Detentions As Lawful

Can police release someone without charge, only to detain that person again moments later? The Association of Defense Attorneys says officers are using a revolving door of detention to keep citizens in custody without laying charges. The Belize Police Department rejects that accusation, insisting its actions follow the law and rely on active investigations and criminal intelligence. Police say they are trying to disrupt crime, not strip Belizeans of their constitutional rights. Today, ASP Stacy Smith defended the department’s approach.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“There is absolutely no desire on the police department’s part to engage in what they’re referring to as preventative detention because not only is that an abuse of power, but it is also a waste of resources when it is that we are believed to be engaging in haphazard or random detention of persons. The detention of persons that have been happening are done pursuant to intelligence or concrete investigative leads. When these persons are detained, they are afforded their constitutional rights. They are issued their prisoner right in custody form. There, as I repeat, there is no interest on the part of the police to just randomly or haphazardly pick up person, but what we will continue to do is to follow all investigative leads because it is our duty and our mandate to disrupt crime and to bring a level of peace within the country, and we will continue to do so within the ambits of the law and do so as professionally as possible.”

 

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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