It's where the hijacker Akinyele Taylor boarded a Tropic Air flight on April 17th - but tonight who's securing the Ranchito Airstrip? As we have reported, two multi million dollar contracts were signed days before Christmas of 2024, and while hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid out - the contracts were cancelled and the government has yet to explain what will be used in its place.
7News has obtained an internal memorandum from the Police Department which scolds police officers for not showing up to work at the Ranchito Airstrip. Since April 17th it was made mandatory that officers are stationed at the municipal airstrips across the country. After that, the decision was made to pay the officers a special duty allowance. And the presence was augmented with two female voluntary special constables.
But, it seems the police aren't turning up in Ranchito. The memo says, quote, "Over the past three weeks this office has been receiving numerous reports that the uniform police officers are not showing up… only the two voluntary special constables.
So in response the police command has made the municipal airstrip in Corozal District quote, "a mandatory post where police will have to preserve law and order and conduct searches in line with the airport authority standards." So that means it will no longer be paid special duty for police officers - only the special constables. Police tell us that the officers working the shift were not even receiving the special duty funds - and it was allegedly being diverted elsewhere. We'll follow up to look for answers.
