So, two murders in a span of 48 hours in what used to be a quiet community. But, that is no longer the case: PG is now riven by gang related crime - most of it having to do with rival crew warning over turf and control of marijuana sales.
The Commissioner says he's had enough and so has that community:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We continue to see an issue in terms of gang rivalries in Punta Gorda Town and as a department, we are pretty much concerned about it. Just this morning in our conference, I briefed commanders as to what our course of action is going to be to address the ongoing issue in Punta Gorda Town. May I say that as a police department, we owe it to the people of Punta Gorda to ensure that we provide the level of citizen security that they so rightly deserve. I just announced some changes that will happen in Punta Gorda Town as early as this week. We need to ensure that we put people in place who are going to fulfil the mandate of the department. When you look at the new government strategy in fighting crime, the PlanBelize Agenda, it speaks a lot to the whole concept of community policing or community oriented policing and so what we will be doing is to ensure that within the scope of what will be done in Punta Gorda Town, that it will encompass that aspect. It is not to say that we will be soft on criminals because those persons who are part and parcels of the problem in Punta Gorda, I can assure you that they will feel the wrath of the police."
"I will be going to Punta Gorda Town on Tuesday and I should be spending the rest of the week there on the grounds talking to people, getting ideas from them and then see how we can come up formulating even greater long term plan to be able to bring Punta Gorda Town to where it once use to be."
Reporter
"In terms of the murder of Kevaughn Wade, he was killed by a minor. A minor committed a muder is shocking anywhere it happens, but how commonplace in a place like PG?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It is not shocking to hear a minor killing somebody. That has been the norm. If you look at most of pour murder we have had of recent, the perpetrator is always a minor and that is the sad part because often times you hear parents crying 'oh da mi lee baby dat, da wah minor' - those are the ones who are going to look you straight in the eye and kill you and so as a department we are mindful of that as well. It does not mean that we are going to be harsh or rough with minors, but there are some minors that we must come down hard on because of the fact that they have develop that criminal propensity from an earlier age. We have to find ways by which we can take our young children out of the hands of these seasoned criminals who are using them as a tool to go and commit crime."
As you heard, Williams says he's going down to PG for a few days starting tomorrow. He's also travelling with the Director of Youth Services to seek mediation and solutions for disaffected youths.
