So taken in total, that’s 9 murders in a week, four in the city, one in San Pedro, 2 in Orange Walk, 1 in Corozal, 1 in Placencia. For the new Barrow administration, elected on a pledge to curb crime and violence, it is a political emergency and for the senior brass of the Police Department - it is a serious security situation. We today met the new Minister of National Security at Price Barracks where we asked him what he plans to do about it.
Jules Vasquez,
We’ve had nine murders in a week and it is one of the worst conflagration of crime that I’ve seen in terms of the national scope of it.
Hon. Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security
“Well you’re very right. It is a big explosion of killings which is shocking the nation, particularly because they are occurring in Belize City, in Placencia, in Orange Walk, Corozal so this morning I directed the Police Department initially to sit down and come up with a plan and as soon as I know those, either the COMPOL or myself will try to say what we will do in the short term.”
Jules Vasquez,
You were elected on a platform to put a dent in crime, to provide greater security. It’s not going well Minister.
Hon. Carlos Perdomo,
“Well if you give me more than three days I will certainly make a dent but for right now, we haven’t even been able to sit down well.”
Jules Vasquez,
Do you all suspect the string of killings are drug related?
Hon. Carlos Perdomo,
“Well so far we don’t see any interconnection but at least three of them are among people whose names always appear in drug oriented business. We don’t think that they are the big time drug dealers, we just think it is the smaller dealers fighting for turf or fighting for money and something like that.”
Police today sent out a release in which the department commits to additional patrols in what are called the affected areas, increased stops and searches, and the aggressive targeting of gangs, and “other criminal activities.”
