And while the weapons used in these recent murders were likely unlicensed, the UDP has issued a press release detailing their concerns about the rate at which gun licenses are being issued. The release states that there has been a sharp increase and the party is calling for a moratorium on the issuance of licenses as well as a review of the criteria for it. They conclude the abundance of licensed weapons is contributing to the culture and prevalence of violence.
Today we asked the Commissioner his thoughts on these reports of an increase in the number of issuance per month, and he fired back at the Leader of the Opposition. Here's how that went.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"You received reports or you get that from people who are playing politics? Listen to me, all of a sudden… I won't say the UDP, because it's one man who is creating the havoc. All of a sudden one man has the solution to every problem. UDP was in power for 13 years, many many gun licenses were issued, including to some criminals, I can tell you, because I have revoked some of them. And the time that the gun licenses were being issued to criminals, nothing was said. Now, all of a sudden, there is an issue for one person to decide who get a gun license, that is the law, the commissioner didn't make the law. And during the time that UDP were in office, a number of persons who received licenses were also involved in some type of criminal activities. I can tell you though, that in my tenure, every license holder who run afoul of the law, I do not hesitate to revoke their license. Ask the UDP if that happened under them. The answer is no. so I don't want for one person to believe that, oh you have the answer and solution to every problem, but internally within your own party where there's havoc, you can't solve it. You have 31, or 30 standard bearers, with yourself, 31, and you can't even live in peace. If you can't control 31 people, how are you going to control a nation with 400,000 people?"
But what about Miguel Encalada, an alleged murderer whose gun license application was rejected several times before it was finally approved? Months after receiving his license he allegedly used it to kill his girlfriend and brother. We asked the ComPol if he regrets signing off on that one.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"There are always going to be a few people who will get gun license and will commit themselves. So long as the vetting for a person is good and the person demonstrates good character, he can be qualified for a license. It does not mean that he is going to get it and like you rightly said, he was rejected a number of times by me. He continued to apply, there was nothing to indicate he was a bad person, you all know the lifestyle he was living, he appeared to be an ordinary, normal law abiding citizen, he was issued one. He commits himself with it, he is dealt with. There is nothing that you will do that is going to be 100% say you'll get what you expect from it. But when you have those persons who commit themselves, them you deal with them. Most of the guns that are committing crimes in Belize are not licensed firearms, they're unlicensed firearms so it's not to say you have a situation where license firearm holders are committing crimes, that is not the case. The guns being used are unlicensed firearms and you cannot have a society where, I can tell you, me personally don't like guns, but I cannot administrate based on my person feelings or what I like or what I believe. I have to look at what the interest of the public is and while yes, I don't like guns, and I would like to not give guns to nobody. The truth is if you deny law abiding citizens of guns while the criminals are still getting theirs by whatever means, through the porous borders or whatever, then you have a community where the law abiding citizens are unarmed or are being denied arms to protect themselves while criminals will be arming themselves to target those law abiding people. So we have to strike a balance. I am sure that Shyne have gun license. He have an issue with gun license then let him turn in his as well."
