The Crime Control Council does its work without much publicity but though it may not be headline material, the group has been working steadily. It is chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs with representation from all major sectors of the law and order net, from the prison, to the justice system, to the social services office, to the business groups. One groups that has been missing is the media and today we were invited in to share ideas and look over the control council's achievement report from June 2003 to May 2006. Minister Fonseca said that it's the product of a great search for solutions.
Hon. Ralph Fonseca, Minister of Home Affairs
"We have been working consistently internally since June of 2003 to try to put a dent in the scourge that our nation has been facing with crime and trying to look as best as we can at the reasons for these crimes and trying to find ways of diluting it as much as is possible."
Jules Vasquez,
Is there anything substantial which will come out of this which will make Belizeans feel that they are living in a safer society over which they have control?
Errol Gentle, Crime Control Council
"It depends on how you look at it. I would say yes. If we talk about strengthening of legislation, if we talk about making it more difficult then for criminals to commit certain type of crimes and getting away with it. If we look at the amount of cooperation and networking that has been taken place between for example the DPP's office and the police, the fast tracking of case files, we had a backlog of case files and now because of the creation of this council, because all the stakeholders come together and they see where we could improve certain things to see the police doing better investigations, the files going to the DPP, the DPP dealing with the files going back to court, and that sort of thing. So yes I would say."
Jules Vasquez,
So there has been a measurable increase of safety in our society?
Errol Gentle,
"Again Jules I think it is how you look at it but I would say there have been certain steps put in place, certain recommendations made by the council, accepted by our legislators, that should create yes indeed a safer society."
Fonseca declined comment on other matters.
