Tonight, the police department's MIT and ATIPS Units have a few new vehicles in their fleet. That's after a substantial donation by the U.S. government today.
Our news team made the journey to the handing over ceremony at Belmopan's Police training school and learned just how pressing a need our border regions have for the increased mobility of law enforcement.
Cherisse Halsall reports.
It's 6 Shiny New ISUZU D-MAXs designated for Belize's police and Customs and Excise departments.
It's a security donation, valued at $374,000.00 dollars and given by the U.S. Embassy. This morning Charge d'affaires Leyla Moses Ones said that the goal is to combat transnational crime.
Leyla Moses-Ones - Charge D'Affaires, U.S. Embassy
"The United States and Belize have a long and enduring partnership and we are very proud to support Belizean law enforcement in countering Transnational organized Crime and all other Criminal elements that undermine Belize's sovereignty, we are committed to standing with Belize as trusted partners to ensure that the law enforcement agencies are well equipped to successfully protect not only the borders but the interior of the country."
But that's a very wide area to cover and the police can't do it alone, that's where the customs and excise department comes in. Comptroller Estelle Lesile says their role doesn't come without its challenges.
Estelle Lesile - Comptroller of Customs
"One of these gaps is mobility and so we at customs are happy today to have been gifted with a motor vehicle to add to our law enforcement tool box. I want to thank the U.S. embassy and I.N.L for this much needed equipment which will be deployed to the northern region enforcement team and will support our existing law enforcement and investigation activities in that area."
Also patrolling along the borders is the police department's Mobile Interdiction team, this morning the COMPOL praised their successes and promised that the two vehicles added to their fleet would only increase their effectiveness.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"The M.I.T have been and continue to be engaged along our borders. We know that transnational crime is a serious problem for us particularly here within our region. Belize stands at a very strategic location for criminals to move through to Mexico and into the U.S. and so there's that mutual interest for both governments to stem this problem. We are going to do our part their M.I.T to protect the interest of our people and the interest of our partners gun smuggling, human smuggling, and contraband are all things that plague our economy and those are things that M.I.T is mandated to deal with."
And while those are domestic security issues, the U.S. sees it as part of a wider regional security net that creates less porous borders which means less pressure at theirs.
