Police Commissioner Chester Williams also spoke with the press about the ongoing state of emergency that was declared 2 days ago for 8 areas in Belize City. That’s after a 48-hour crime wave struck the City, and resulted in 6 murders, including the killings of those precious 5 year old’s Kia Herbert and Dominique Rhamdas - as well as his mother.
This evening, police announced that they have detained 102 persons who they strongly believe are gang members.
Among the detained persons include 25-year-old Adrian Pook, 31-year-old Aaron Lindo, 36-year-old Edwin Flowers, 20-year-old Phozhaun Lewis, 21-year-old Israel Usher, 23-year-old Brandon Young, 27-year-old Raheem McGowan, 26-year-old Byron Jeffords, 19-year-old Adam Ferguson, and 26-year-old Terrel Moreira.
Here’s what the Commissioner had to say this evening about the rounding up of all these suspected gang members countrywide:
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"We now have a total of 102 persons in custody, some of whom have been transported to the Kobe Foundation. There are still a few that we're looking for about, 40 thereabout that we're looking for but you'll know that we have publicized the names and photographs of these persons and I must say that the public feedback is going well. They have been able to assist us in apprehending some of them in different parts of the country. We have operations in the different districts, we're working with crime stoppers as well and the information flowing from crime stoppers to us is extremely helpful and I want to encourage the public to continue to use that platform to be able to share the information as it relates to the whereabouts of these individuals and again, there is a reward for that once any of these individuals are caught based on information provided to crime stoppers. In Belize City, we continue to maintain our strong presence in the 8 declared zones with a view to ensure that those persons who are left within and we're hoping that they will be no gang members because we try as best as we can to root out the gang members from within these communities. We want to ensure that the safety of those persons who are left behind is there as well as the safety of the wider Belize City populous and the out district of a whole. I want to appeal to those person across the country, everyone that it is an offence under the emergency declaration regulations as well as under the criminal code to harbour any fugitive. The fact that these persons have been published as wanted persons by the police, if any person is found to be harbouring any of these individuals, we are not going to hesitate, we will ensure that whoever is found to be harbouring either of them, that such person will be dealt with to the full extent of the law. I must say that we already have a few persons in custody who will be charged for harbouring a few of those that we have apprehended and let me say as well that, while some may think that we're only focusing on men, that there are also some women who are involved in these gang activities and we're also focusing on women as well. So, some women will be picked up and just like the men, they'll be ferried to Kolbe Foundation. We want the public to be assured that we'll continue to do what we can with a view to ensure the safety and security of our people, in particular our women and children."
So, as you heard, police have 102 persons detained, and they are looking 40 more. Do police have evidence to charge all 142 of them for being members of a criminal gang? That’s what we asked, and here’s how the Commissioner answered that one:
Chester Williams
"While we are focusing on picking up the gang members and taking them out of circulation. We want to ensure that we don't only take then out of circulation for taking them out of circulation sake but at the same time, we want that the investigators continue to push to solve the cases because if at the end of the day, we can charge some of them, which we already did but we can charge more with different crimes that they have committed, then that will be a plus to us. At the end of the day, yes whilst it good to be carting them away to prison, if we can get charges that can stick on them and go to court and convict them later on, that will be even more of a plus for us and so that is the spirit with which we want to operate, that while they are in prison, we can continue to investigate around them, gather the relevant evidence because they don't be out in circulation intimidating or threatening witnesses from cooperating and so it will help the investigators to be able to make greater in rolls with these investigations."
Daniel Ortiz
"These people that have been detained, you guys strongly suspect that they are gang members. Do you believe that we'll be able to charge them with that actual offence of being a criminal?"
Chester Williams
"Well we're hoping to but to be honest, I don't want to say yes and we will not. It's an investigative process and at the end of the day, the investigation is going to dictate where we go, where that is concerned."
We also asked if the Police Department is prepared to tackle all those complaints from the detained persons that the state is violating their constitutional rights. You’ll remember that during the last state of emergency, attorneys representing the detained men complained that police mishandled them and their detention.Â
Here’s what the Commissioner had to say about that:
Chester Williams
"It is the attorney's duty to represent his client and to look for reason to suggest that, the police or the state may have acted in violation of their client's rights and Mr. Vidal had said in the press brief on Wednesday, we have learnt a lot from the first state of emergency and so, those issues that were raised by the attorneys that we believe are legitimate, we're ensuring now that those glitches do not occur. Now, some may say that, the state of emergency is a violation of the constitution but remember that it is the same constitution in section 18 that grants the authority to the Governor General to declare a state of public emergency in situation where there is persons who are behaving in such a way that they may create public terror or to cause a sector of society to become uncomfortable, fearful and so, if one is going to suggest that it is a violation of the constitution, then it is tantamount to say, that the constitution is in violation of itself."
