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And though the LIU has made its strides, it's no secret that while it helps some former gang members stay off the streets, there are those who are still involved in gang activity. Of course, when caught, those persons are disqualified from the program. However, there have been two recent incidents where LIU members were shot, and in the case of Troy Hyde, killed.
Today the minister said that the LIU was never meant to be a cure-all, and that while many of the members want to turn over new leaves, their past sometimes catches up with them. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"What we have to understand, and I know the media harps on it a lot, and that's actually how they open with this story is by saying this person was an LIU member. What we have to understand about the Leadership Intervention Unit program is that it is a program targeting at risk youth who are involved or have been involved in gang violence but want to turn over a new leaf."
"And so we through our programs, through our sporting programs, agricultural program through these types of skills training programs are targeting 1000 of these individuals. So at any given point, 1000 of them are coming in contact with any one of our various programs. And let's be real. It's not as though because we created this leadership intervention unit, a switch was automatically turned off."
"And to say these people don't have beefs or don't have squabbles or issues with other rival gang members who do not want to turn over a new leaf. And so that is the difficulty that we always find, is that while these individuals want to change their lives around their past oftentimes comes back and haunts them. That's truly regrettable because a lot of them just want to move on and lead a very positive life."
"And so I think the media has to accept that, that whenever there is crime on the southside or violence on the southside of Belize city, chances are it is someone who has come in contact with our program who wants to make better of themselves."
Reporter:
"You don't believe that there will be an increase or a spike in gang activity in the city?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"No, I don't believe that."
