And moving to police news, earlier this week, we told you that there's going to be a major shakeup in the department. The OC of the largest formation, Eastern Division, will be moved to the head of Community Policing and replaced with an officer of a lower rank - the third change in the commander of E-D in less than a year.
ACP Howell Gillett has only been in the post for a few months but he's already being shifted out, meanwhile Senior Superintendent Hilberto Romero will be moving on up.
But is this a demotion for ACP Gillett? We asked the police minister for his thoughts.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Whenever we have senior officers retiring from the department and in this case we have deputy commissioner Magdaleno who is retiring in the coming weeks, with that vacant post then there is going to be major shifts within the department and so we have ACP Howell Gillett who has been doing a very good job in Belize City as well, one of his big strengths is community policing and now we'll be moving him up to Community Police to had Community Policing. ACP Guzman will then be taking on a DCP role, as you know ACP Guzman was at Community Police but now he's moving up as deputy commission of police."
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir you said that Gillett is moving up, but isn't this more of a demotion? I mean, going from commanding the biggest formation to Community Policing."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I would not continue this a demotion by any stretch, it's a parallel move, in fact, he's going to head an entire Community Policing desk, which is for the entire country of Belize and like I said, that is something that we recognize is one of his strengths, is reaching out to the business community, reaching out to the students, to the schools, engaging the community and that is truly one of the big points for us in PlanBelize, if you look at PlanBelize, community policing is one of the areas that we want to focus on and that certainly has been enhanced not just by him but by all police officers over the last two years, there has been a greater effort towards community policing so I do not in any way consider that a demotion."
