And, one man who may have an interest in that area is Chester Williams. The Compol is a law-man and an attorney - but some pundits say that he may have a future in politics - and if he does, that new area in Stann Creek, could take him back to his Seine Byte roots. Now it's just fun speculation at this point, but politics, as they say, is the art of the possible.
For the Compol, he certainly wouldn't have to fight for name recognition, since he's already a nationally known figure. And tonight he's reinforcing that with another of his memorable media appearances.
For the past few days we've been reporting on the fairly minor accident that the commissioner of police was involved in.
A rental car, driven by a tourist turned into his back tyre on the George Price Highway.
The Commissioner says he was not in the wrong and has not been served with a notice of intended prosecution - which is - from our experience - almost universally given to persons involved in traffic accidents - even if they are not eventually charged.
But, not for the Compol, because as he explained to us today in Belmopan, there's no chance he was even remotely in the wrong:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I was driving towards Blackman Eddy Village and there was a vehicle in front Kia Soul, behind the Kia Soul was I think a Prado and behind the Prado was me. I was the third vehicle in line. We were traveling from an east to west direction. So I began to overtake. Traffic was clear, I passed the first vehicle. As I was passing the second vehicle which is the Kia, I saw the driver made a immediate turn to the left as if he was going to turn into Maya Hill which is on the left. Now the law is, this is no anybody opinion, the law is if you are driving and you are going to make a left turn you must pull off the road and give way to oncoming traffic on a highway. And you must also make sure you use your rear-view mirror to look to the back to see if anything may be overtaking you before you make that turn. The driver did not do that. He just made the turn without looking in his rear-view mirror and could not have seen me coming and that was what caused the collision."
So that's what happens - the commissioner's side of the story. But, what about the yellow line? The picture taken near to the accident scene shows two solid yellow lines on the highway - which means it's a no overtaking zone. Now we can't say the collision happened there, but even if it did - the Compol today told us - don't take those lines as the law:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Now, I know much has been said about the yellow line. Where the vehicles were parked was not where the accident happened. We pulled off there. But let me educate some people and remove the cap of ignorance from off their heads. There is nothing in law about those lines on the road. Those lines are just guide for drivers. The rules or the law relating to overtaking is 1) You must not overtake around a curve. You must not overtake on the blow of a hill. You must not overtake when traffic is coming the opposite direction or where you cannot see. So long as you have a clear view ahead, that nothing is coming, you can overtake."
"Again, when it comes to the lines on the middle of the road, those were just use as guide like to tell drivers you know - you might reach an area where you might not want to overtake, because there might be some danger, you cannot see what is coming around the curve. There is nothing in law to say that you cannot overtake."
Jules Vasquez
"I hear you, but you realize how totally preposterous this is, because this is an accepted convention and rule of driving that you are now saying must be suspended, because you violated it. So, your argument is that well I do it so its alright. I mean its really just a suggestion. No sir, these are the rules of the road."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"You see the whole issue of Jules-tologist or Jules-tolism, you try to create your own narrative. A Jules-tologist is a person who try to create their own narrative for their own aggrandisement, right. Obviously you missed what I said just now. I said where the vehicles were parked was not where the accident happened. I did not say to you that when I overtook the vehicle, there were double lines. I just went on to explain to you what the double line means. So, don't come to me with what you want with your narrative to make it seem as if I am committed a breach of the law, because I have not and even if it were so that I had overtaken the person on those double lines, there is nothing in law to say that I break the law, nothing. But certainly, there is the law that the other driver break the law, because he made a left turn without giving due consideration for oncoming traffic."
Jules Vasquez
"So then I must ask, you went through a long explanation, so I took it to mean, I assumed that, well if you went through this long explanation about the 2 lines business, that means that you were in violation of it, sir. Where you overtook were there 2 lines in the road?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"You can go on the scene. If I tell you right now, you will not believe me, so I challenge you to go yourself."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, now was not served with a notice of intended prosecution. We know that every individual..."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Jules Vasquez, stop your foolishness now man. Why would i be served with a notice of intended prosecution when it is clear, even blind eye Jamesy could see that the other was at fault. The driver have accepted that he was at fault. Why you want to make it seem as if the law must change because the other person is the commissioner of police. Section 6 of the constitution speaks to the equality before the law. It did noy say that everyone are equal before the law, except the commissioner who shall be deem guilty even when he is innocent. It does not say that. And I am done with that line of questioning, anything else."
