As we've been reporting, June was a deadly month - and as we move into July, the Police Department is adjusting the command in the Eastern Division to bring in fresh faces - including Senior Superintendent Chris Noble - to try and contain crime. At the halfway mark, this year's murder rate is on track to outpace last year's, and the police command hopes that with some strategic changes, they can reign it in.
But, for the families who have lost, it's not about the statistics- the pain is far too real:
11 families have experienced an indescribable Grief this month.
June is one more deadly month in what has been an up and down year for crime.
January 2022 - that's the line in blue saw 13 murders, April 12, and now 11 in June - for a total of 58 murders for the first half of this year - above last year's pace - and on pace for an increased murder count.
The Police Minister said they're doing all they can - but don't expect miracles overnight:
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"The multi-sectoral approach is not an overnight fix and I will repeat that as often as I need to, because we have a very serious issue in our country, a very serious problem with 29 gangs in Belize City alone. That won't fix overnight. What has changed is getting more departments, the department of Youth Service involve, getting the Ministry of Education involve, to realize that we have a long term program that we're putting in place to actually stem the tide. That is what we're putting in place and so between October and now it is not expected that you're going to see that kind of result in the multi sectoral approach."
But in the meantime, the city streets are awash in blood - and when citizen security is not guaranteed, politicians feel the pressure:
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"We do believe in a long term fix for the crime problem in our country, but if it gets a point where we are seeing that the murders are happening and retaliation is happening too regular, we will have to implement the state of emergency again."
Since taking office, the PUP led Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated one State of Emergency.
