And according to the ComPol, this spate of gang violence erupted after the Trinibad concert, which was held at Riverside Tavern on June 8th.
Following the concert, Doris Grant and her common law husband Austin Underwood were shot. Williams said he was apprehensive about the concert before it even happened because he believes musicians whose music perpetuates violence shouldn't be allowed in Belize. Here's how he put it.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Like I said this whole spate of incidents began at Trinibad's concert or whatever you may want to call the event that they had and I again maintain my position and I don't care what anybody has to say but I don't believe that as a country, we should allow that type of music in our country, those types of entertainers in our country, they cannot DJ in most parts of the Caribbean because of the type of music they promote. Anywhere Trinibad goes and plays or whatever they do, there are murders, that's their reputation. Why do we have to bring them here when we already have a society that is vulnerable to gangs, people who are going to imitate what they hear in these songs that are played and so like I said, they had the concert, certain things took place at the concert and there was where everything started. It spilled over after the concert and then it permeates the city. We now have to deal with the aftermath of that."
"Instead of bringing Trinibad, why not bring a church concert? When Pastor Wade, or whoever brought the church concert, the city council, at the BTL park, you see the amount of people that attracted? A huge crowd it shows that we are still a Christian society. Not only badman music could make money, gospel music could also make money. Our people, our children need God. Parents no longer take their children to church, children are left to stray on the streets then they are adopted by the gang members then they become criminals. If we take time and get them into church, it is going to make a huge difference for us as a country."
We note that the police department's SPU handled Security at the Concert.
