And in other news out of the U.S. Embassy USAID joined UNDP today to make a major donation to Belize's Ministry of Home Affairs.
That donation made up of computer equipment and Cameras valued at $44,695.00 US dollars was made possible through the USAID regional project known as InfoSegura - which seeks to generate information to contribute to greater citizen security.
The handover took place in Belmopan with Minister Kareem Musa and Director of the Forensic Service Gian Cho to accept the equipment and accessories:
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"This handing over r of information and communication technology equipment valued at US $67,150.00 will better position the Belize Police department and the National Forensic Science Service to capture, process, store and serve up critical crime-related data and information. This is essential not just for the administration of justice in Belize but also to provide critical data analysis that will help me as a minister, our policymakers in cabinet inter-agency partners including the Belize Central Prison, The Belize Crime Observatory and the Judiciary and many other stakeholders and partners to be more effective in playing their role in helping to reduce crime and violence in Belize."
Sydney Skov, Acting Political and Economic Chief
"Generally the U.S. embassy is so proud to celebrate this collaborative endeavor with USAID with UNDP and of course the government of Belize through a donation of as was mentioned this GPS enabled cameras, and computer equipment, which will strengthen inter-agency sharing with the ultimate goal of course of improving this insecurity in Belize. And really with this equipment, we are laying a foundation for a sophisticated and framework which allows quick and easy access of information which can touch an entire continuum of justice in Belize."
Gian Cho, Director, NFSS
"We always say quality forensic science starts at the crime scene, similarly for crime statistics quality crime data also starts at the crime scene, having these GPS enabled cameras will allow the forensic science unit especially the sciences of crime unit to digitalize the process of capturing georeferencing data while the crime scene is still being processed simultaneously. So it would use an additional step of having to use a separate device to capture the coordinates. It will be embedded automatically into the photograph, the crime scene photographs and that can enhance our processing of that information Lateran. It complement what we are already trying to do with JIC, with the crimes investigation branch and the other specialized units and the forensic laboratory in terms of generating crime, gun intelligence, data actionable intelligence as well but, o it's just one more step along or one more measure along A HISTORY OR A SERIES OF INTERVENTIONS and innovations that we have added through the infosegura project to enhance the way we capture data and utilize data, analyze that data and share that data with the wider interagency teams."
Today's donation includes workstations and GPS-enabled cameras and accessories to the Belize Police Department and the National Forensic Science Service, to help strengthen interagency data sharing through the Belize Crime Observatory.
