Or maybe - instead of having figures from July - the PM heard about the killing spree on the 21st when three men were killed - two of them in his home town of Orange Walk. It was a night of serial violence in Sugar City - fueled by the huge, hard-partying crowd that went there for the carnival.
We asked the Compol about the holiday excess that leads to violence and if anything can be done to curb the resulting anti social behaviour:
Jules Vasquez
"How do you affect the type of social change where we don't end up with 3 murders after Independence Day celebration?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well, I have a serious issue with the liquor licensing boards for the most part across the country. There are a few of them that do work with us. But for me, issuing a liquor license or issuing an extension or issuing a special liquor license should not be based on making money. It must be based on the greater good of the society and we are seeing where liquor licensing boards are issuing special liquor license, issuing extensions without consulting the police. When we do these things, we have to have the police as a part of the process, because we need to make sure that whatever event will be had, that the police will be able to police it and when you just issue liquor license to each and any person because you are going to make a little bit of money, and we have the sale of alcohol so fragmented across the town or village. It makes extremely challenging for police and then when things goes wrong, the police get the blame."
"We need to strike a balance. While yes, we do understand that people want to celebrate, people want to drink, but we can have these selling of alcohol concentrated in one area, it makes it more easier for us to police and I have said to my commanders that whenever the liquor licensing board issue a liquor license to an individual or an extension without consulting the police or not having proper security, then we must go and close them down. I don't care who give them the license, we must close them down."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, how do you tell your officers in there who you hold them to task, they've work so hard to keep the homicide numbers down and we know how difficult it is and then the Prime Minister qwine da New York and tell the whole world that homicides are up. How will he treat you all so?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I did not hear the Prime Minister speech on that issue and I cannot say why, if in fact it happened. But perhaps the Prime Minister have the numbers wrong and I don't think that he would do that purposely. He do recognize the fact that our officers are out there working hard night and day to try and keep the homicide numbers down and the truth is at the beginning of August this year our numbers were up, so perhaps the Prime Minister had the figures prior to August."
