In less than 48 hours, BDF soldiers will be back patrolling the streets of Belize City. It's happening for the first time since 2019 when they were phased out after about two decades of intermittent deployment.
And they are being brought back to bolster police street patrols because of the recent gang violence in the Martin's area.
It's part of a major change in policing strategy which was agreed to last Friday - and it sees the Special Patrol Unit which has been assigned to the Lake I area for almost 10 years now removed and re-deployed to the Jane Usher area.
We asked the Minister of Home Affairs about the moves today:
Kareem Musa, Min. - Home Affairs
"So last week, Friday we had a meeting of the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister. At that meeting, we discussed several adjustments that need to be made in view of the escalating violence that has been taking place, particularly in the Saint Martin's area. In addition to the BDF being deployed, starting this coming Wednesday, we will also be having Coast Guard joining the police in the area. It is a very critical time, as you could have seen over the last few weeks: A young two year old was shot. A ten year old was shot. And all of these stemming from an escalation in gang violence, primarily between two groups. But there are associates of one of the gangs that are also involved in this feud. And so it is absolutely critical that adjustments were made. The GI3 like you mentioned, will be placed in the Martin's area. TheSPU will be will be in charge, sorry, in charge of other parts of the city. And the GI3 will also be bolstered in their efforts, with additional personnel."
Jules Vasquez
"Now, is this a.) an admission as many in one of the gangs in the Martin's area said that SPU was siding with the next gang, and that they were making it worse?"
Kareem Musa, Min. - Home Affairs
"Yeah. There's an issue in policing known as familiarity. Whether it is that they're siding or whether it is familiarity. The fact remains that there is a perception that there might be some sort of bias towards one or the other. And when that happens, it certainly creates some sort of tension, whether that's a reality or not. And so in light of that perception, that is why there is a need."
Jules Vasquez
"It looks like a retrograde move when you bring the BDF back onto the street, which was last done in 2019. It looks like you're seeing all policing efforts have failed. We need to put soldiers on our streets."
Kareem Musa, Min. - Home Affairs
"Yeah. So if you would recall, the last two shooting incidents, one on the northern highway in front of Reimers, I believe a switch was used. And then when you look at the one at Majestic Alley, a.223 rifle was used and not just used in inflicting, fatal injuries to one individual harming a two year old. And thereafter firing upon a police officer. We have to understand the critical nature of crime and violence in this country right now, and why we need to reinsert the security forces, in addition to police, to bolster our efforts in these areas."
Jules Vasquez
"But militarization often leads to escalation."
"One side upgrades the criminals upgrade as well. It becomes more dangerous for everyone. And also, maybe the community."
Kareem Musa, Min. - Home Affairs
"It is not intended to be a permanent feature to have the BDF or the military in these areas. It is a temporary measure. I'm sure the Minister of Defence and Border Security will say I will never permanently provide the services of our Coast Guard and BDF within these areas. But at the same time, we are grateful for the additional manpower that they're going to be providing for us in terms of security, like I said, because there is a tension, we cannot lose sight of that fact that there is a growing tension in these communities. And we do need greater policing and security force efforts."
Jules Vasquez
"Now, Mr. Gamboa famously likes to say he had the carrot and stick approach. Now you are going, it seems, only for the stick, right? And we know that when when you you do this hard policing, sometimes gang actors retaliate against the state."
Kareem Musa, Min. - Home Affairs
"They have declared war on the state. The moment this shocked Corporal Elvis Guzman, when they saw a police vehicle coming after them, after they committed that act. Because a lot of people say police not to do their job. Police were actually chasing the vehicle that did that shooting in Majestic alley. But they feel so emboldened that they could just shoot at an officer. And thankfully he did not lose his life but was shot in his hand. And so we have to acknowledge this is not about, we're taking preventative measures here. It is not about creating any situation for retaliation."
