And on the other side of that conclusion is he perspective of defence attorney Dickie Bradley.
He calls these states of emergency a failure of policy. He discussed this yesterday in the context of his client Alex Underwood, who's been charged for gang membership. As we told you, police believe Underwood is a key part of the this recent escalation between what they say is his gang and a rival gang.
Bradley said that is misconception within a wider failure in policy:
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"There is a failure of policy, there is a great failure in the society in regards to this matter of violent crime, there has been a little movement to say well the younger generation will be able to access schools on the Southside if they can't afford to go. There will be some attempts to try and make sure that their books and even their meals should be paid for which is a start for those who are fighting poverty and the rise of inflation but that clearly, clearly is not working for the current long list of gang members and shooters that are plaguing the society."
Jo Marie Lanza:
"Do you think that maybe Mr Underwood is putting up a front, I know that there is no way that he can play two roles, you know the happy football owner and you know some devious person who is still involved in gang activity."
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"How do you put up a front by being out in the public, when your life is in danger in fact you don't have to be out in public to be executed or assassinated in fact the mere satisfaction of those who target one another is to go and shoot you in your house my dear, nobody is safe in Belize. You don't have to be out in the public main to lose your life in fact what has sparked off this matter to a large extent of an innocent young lady two streets from where we are, when they were shooting at another target. So, playing possum doesn't work in a society that is slowly melting in front of our eyes, the situation is this, Mr. Underwood had involvement with the younger generation that has lost their way he has clearly moved away from that You can't pretend to be a gang leader and be pretending to be somebody else. It doesn't work like that in a small society like Belize City. He is either smart enough, you see this man has wife and picking, smart enough to know that road leads to one place and that is the cemetery and obviously, he has been making an effort. Have you heard his name in the news lately that he has done this or he has done that, can those who accuse him point and say Guess what, you see so and so and so, that is directly linked to him. So, of course the Comissioner, no police could ever say bwoi we di charge the wrong man, bwoi, we are just doing a statistical arrest, we are picking up all the young people and locking them up. If you go to the court and they are helpful to give you a list of the amount of people who are gang members, you realize they are just randomly making up a list of a lot of people, which they did for the state of emergency under the red and under the blue, and what you don't know is that the government ended up having to pay all. Well, the majority of persons who were picked up and taken to prison under the state of emergency. A large amount of them sued successfully for violating thier rights."
