The region's best spies are in Belize this week...well, you may not want to call them spies but we do.
They are the officers in charge of special branches throughout the Caribbean. As most know, the special branch is that secretive and cloistered section within the Police Department that gathers intelligence form the collective whisperings of Belize's over and underworlds. But today at the Heads of Special Branch conference, there were no whispers, only the vocal call to action against the global menace of terrorism. That's right: terrorism! But we wondered what about the terrorists in our midst?
21 delegates from 18 countries; they look like normal working professionals, but as the special branch bosses for Caribbean countries these are basically the top spies in the Caribbean.
Allan Usher, CEO Ministry of Home Affairs
"As intelligence officers you are regarded very much as the eyes and ears of our governments."
This week those eyes and ears are in Belize to discuss shared security concerns and not surprisingly terrorism tops that list.
Allan Usher,
"The threat of international terrorism in our region cannot be underestimated. We must always remain alert and continue monitoring individuals and/or groups affiliated to international terrorist groups."
In Belize the term terror could be equally applied to the state we're all living in, barred and fenced in from those terrorists we call criminals.
Jules Vasquez,
Some people say that we have a lack of proper intelligence; a lack of good intelligence which enables crimes to be carried out in Belize.
Supt. Melicio Uck, O.C. Special Branch
"That's the perception from some sectors of the media but if you look at the region and compare it to Belize, Belize is still a good country and a peaceful one."
While Superintendent Uck's assessment of peace is arguable, one thing he did concede is that we live in a troubled region with a growing culture of crime.
Supt. Melicio Uck,
"Belize in common with the Caribbean and other regional countries has seen an apparent expansion of criminal activity which may not be acceptable to certain sectors of our population. However our ability to contain and reduce criminal activity is seen as an improvement from previous years. Some of the successes can be attributed largely to the reliance on intelligent led police operations."
Allan Usher, CEO Ministry of Home Affairs
"We need to get right what the criminals have done a long time ago and that is to develop the cross-border corporation and communication links and other mechanisms in order to successfully combat threats."
And learning now what international crime cartels mastered so long ago will top the agenda at this year's conference.
Apart from the delegates from 18 states, there are also observers from north and Central America, United Kingdom, Taiwan and Suriname.