Sister city relationships are nothing new to Belize City but today there was a first. The Belize Police Department is working on a sister city relationship between the Belize PD and the Police Department in Harris County of Texas. And of course nothing strengthens a friendship like gifts and today the top brass from Harris County's 4th precinct came with US$50,000 worth of those. Here's the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Take a good look because this is probably the closest you'll ever get to seeing a mug shot of Assistant Commissioner of Police Crispin Jeffries Sr. This morning the Eastern Division boss was actually posing to take a photo for his police ID card. This is what the cards will look like.
Ron Hickman, Harris County Police
"What we are bringing today is a computer system with software that actually will create an identification card, much like a credit card, that will the take information of each individual officer, it will take their picture and their signature, and put it on the card. Many people can actually counterfeit the card but what will have to be on this card to make it official will be the Commissioner's signature, something that's not easily obtainable."
It's one little card but the Commissioner of Police Gerald Westby says these little cards will do a whole lot for the Police Department.
Gerald Westby, Commissioner of Police
"It goes a long way in having the police...when the public requests
the police must be able identify themselves when on and off duty."
Ron Hickman,
"We think it will bring a much more professional approach to your police and it should instill a greater degree of confidence in your public that you are in fact professionals."
The donation of 2500 blank cards as well as the digital camera, laptop, and other hardware, in addition to ten bulletproof vests, was hand delivered this morning by officers from the fourth precinct of the Harris County Police Department. The team was led by their top cop Constable Ron Hickman.
Ron Hickman,
"We hope that today some of the things we provide you with, go towards making the police in Belize more professional as well as safer."
Gerald Westby,
"We are looking at ways how we can exchange between us. We can learn from them and certainly they can learn. We want to develop a sister or brotherly relationship with Harris County where we can look at things that they are doing, techniques, their methods of operation, to address some of the problems we have at home here and equally we can learn from us because the Belize Police Department is very proud of the work that we have been doing."
The partnership that bloomed today began with Patrol Branch Commander ASP Edward Broaster and his brother Lennox, also a police officer. Broaster says it's a relationship worth having.
ASP Edward Broaster,
"This is a very symbolic donation. This is the start of a great relationship between Harris County and the Belize Police Department. The Commissioner of Police has met with Ron Hickman, the chief police from Harris County, and they have discussed the idea of developing the sister city relationship which will be formulated and officially sanctioned in a month or two."
The five square foot bullet proof glass was installed at the Police's Queen Street Station. Harris County is the biggest county in Texas with about 4.5 million people. The fourth precinct, which is Belize's new found friend, has about 400 officers.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
