8 days ago, a series of Whatsapp voice notes from the Commission of Police Chester Williams went viral. In it he breezily recounted how a police officer had stopped him during curfew hours and basically told him it's curfew time, go home! Now, the COMPOL was out working, circling the city making checks on police patrols as he is known to do. And, besides, he's the man who signs all the curfew passes.
So, he wearily put these voice notes on the internal police blog, barely masking his contempt with sarcasm:
Voice of Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police "I'm certain the officer knew it was my vehicle and want to put on a show, but I give him a medal for a good performance. So, tomorrow morning when I get to work the first thing, I'm going to do is to issue myself with a pass. That policeman was serious that he might arrest me for true, so to be on the safe side, I will get my pass."
And while he blew that off, behind closed doors, the commissioner apparently blew his top! A secret recording has emerged of Commissioner Williams berating the same cop who stopped him - not mincing words in making it very clear to the cop - that he is entitled to be out on the streets, quote, "when and how he wants". Here's how the Compol put it:
Voice of Chester Williams "Policeman don't get me pissed off right now because you are not going to like it. You are not going to like it you are going to leave from here not happy. So, humble yourself and bring yourself down to earth, I am the Commissioner of Police, I am not any common man out there, so get your act together. I am entitled to be out on the streets when I want and how I want. As matter of fact, the quarantine regulations say so. The police act let me read for you section 20 of the police act because you need to be educated. The duties of the Belize Police Department shall be, and it list a number of things under A. Under subsection 2 of subsection 20, it says every police officer shall always deemed on duty and may at all times be detailed for duty in any parts of Belize - educate yourself. I don't need to be in uniform to be on duty or be working or to be doing my duty as Commissioner of Police. You know my vehicle."
Voice of Officer "Yes, sir you drive in a grey vehicle."
Voice of Chester Williams "How long I have that?"
Voice of Officer "Chief I don't know."
Voice of Chester Williams "I don't have that grey vehicle for over a month, two months I don't have that grey vehicle and even so, I give you all credit, you never know the vehicle - the fact is when you stop me, when I stopped, you saw me and your comments were rather disrespectful. Everybody in Belize, every policeman in Belize know, that every night I drive around the city, am I not right Mr. Chan? "
Voice of Officer "Yes sir."
Voice of Chester Williams "Everybody knows that. I am not a Commissioner who administrate from out of a cave and I'm not going to seek permission from you to do my job, so you need to get your act together. When you had the call, duty officers in Belize City, you work call duty Mr. Chan?"
Voice of Officer "Yes sir."
Voice of Chester Williams "When you do call duty and go around at night are you in uniform?"
Voice of Officer "No sir."
Voice of Chester Williams "When you go to court, you go in uniform?"
Voice of Officer
"Yes sir."
Voice of Chester Williams "Every time you go to court?"
Voice of Officer "Yes sir. Every time I go to court I go in uniform sir."
Voice of Chester Williams "So, you have never worked not before in uniform?"
According to our reports, the police constable in question had been suspected of some less than optimal activity in the south and transferred to Belize City.
