The Belize Police Department is once again facing serious public backlash after a recent video emerged showing officers involved in a violent confrontation with civilians in Corozal.
The footage shows what appears to be police officers striking multiple individuals, including a woman, with batons. The incident, which reportedly took place over the weekend, has raised even more questions about police conduct.
The department has not yet issued an official statement, but an internal review is reportedly underway.
Just days ago, during Monday’s Open Your Eyes programme, Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith also commented on the public’s concern and cases like these surfacing more often.
“It would be foolish of me to think that with an organisation that stands at approximately 3,000 persons, there won’t be officers who do not conduct themselves in the manner that is befitting of officers,” she said.
She explained that some of these individuals will inevitably act in ways that do not reflect the values or standards expected of law enforcement.
“Whilst we do training, including the recruit training and continuous training, in the hope of ridding persons who may come into the department with these types of character traits, there is only so much that can be done, and certainly whatever disciplinary actions that we can take, within the confines of the law, it’s what dictates what goes after that,” she added.
Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, during a police graduation ceremony in Belmopan, Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa had briefly addressed the issue, stating that there is indeed the need for better training and decision-making in tense situations when it comes to de-escalating tactics and police involvement.
