Since George Street soldier Alpheus Smith was slain on Saturday morning, the city has been under the sustained threat of massive gang warfare between rival southside crews. Well tonight that threat has been defused…somewhat. For the past two nights we've reported on the detentions of principals from George Street and Back-a-Town.
This morning, all of them were taken into a mediation session at the Queen Street Police Station. The session was chaired by the senior command of the Eastern Division, Allen Whylie and Chester Williams and had participation from community leaders such as Mose Hyde, Erwin X, Bert Tucker, Emerson Guild as well as canon Leroy Flowers and Ombudsman Paul Rodriguez. After that nearly three hour session the detainees were sent home. As they were leaving, we spoke to a few of the principals who said that the session had promise but it also highlighted chronic problems.
Emerson Guild, Mediator
"Some of us were asked to come together to see how we could cool the emotions that is currently so high in the streets. I believe to some degree we've been able to do that but the real work comes later on. I don't think any real work happened today. In truth what I heard is people talking about their livelihoods in a way as if it is being taken away from them and I don't believe anybody is not going to stand up and defend what is their livelihood.
I believe this process must be taken on by these people who are suffering this atrocity because it is an atrocity. I don't understand how you are not guilty of a crime and you are pulled to the police station. But I can understand on the policemen's side that they thought that there might be some terrible actions and we are going to prevent it so in some respect we have to give them their props for that but I believe there is a humane way to deal with humanity in the defense of their own livelihoods because nobody knows why these men are shooting at each other. Really, do we know that."
Erwin X, Mediator
"We were also discussing a concern on behalf of brothers who have been incarcerated by the Police Department where some of them have been pepper sprayed and a brother's jaw was broken by a police officer and there's no justice. When they are brought to this Police Department a lot of them are disrespected and reduced to dust and are treated as though they are animals without rights and
these are some of our concerns because you cannot get justice with injustice."
John Baptist, Detained for 26 Hours
"I was inside the cell block too for no reason."
Jules Vasquez,
Are you from George Street?
John Baptist,
"I am from 65 Bishop Street, different block."
Jules Vasquez,
But they picked you up as a part of the same sweep?
John Baptist,
"I was coming from the Tourist Village going back home because I went to the tourist village to speak to my brother. On the way coming back I stopped here to answer my phone when Chester Williams told the officer to detain me. I asked the officer why Mr. Chester would want to detain me and I am not a criminal. I have no charges in the court."
Jules Vasquez,
But are you a part of this George Street-Back A Town rivalry, you have dealings with that?
John Baptist,
"None at all. I am a lonely ranger, I hang out by myself. The only group I hang out with is my wife and my three beautiful daughters, that is my group."
Erwin X,
"Some of the brothers got picked up because of the way they look and because of association."
John Baptist,
"How can we cooperate with the police if they are doing innocent people things like this?"
Erwin X,
"The conclusion of the meeting is that Mr. Whylie from the Police Department said to us that officers will be charged and reprimanded if that is necessary for the activities that they have done and for the injustices that they have caused against our brothers who have been incarcerated. Also, we have agreed that we will set another date for an official peace initiative where individuals will not be incarcerated or will not be demanded by the police to come out. They will not be taken out by the police officers, they will be asked to come out and all of them have agreed that they want peace and they will work to bring about peace."
John Baptist,
"With peace everybody feels good but if the police come out to retaliate and brutalize people, innocent people, what do you think. If we sit down in a yard because one of our family members died and we are in the yard talking about it and all of a sudden from nowhere police just haul up and start shooting, what will that say? If they can't work with we, we can't work with them and if they go against us, that will cause retaliation and the amount of people, citizens in Belize, there aren't enough police to handle it and we don't want that. We want peace and love."
As Erwin X mentioned, this was only a preliminary event; they have tentatively planned a sort of peace summit which would be held in the next three to four weeks at the Bird's Isle.
