Today at the Commissioner of Police's Office at Belmopan headquarters, he swore in the newly elected members of the Belize Police Association.
That is, all except for one. That's Corporal Kenrick Bol, the police officer who is a Rastafarian and says it is an exercise of his religious freedom to wear dreadlocks. But, the Compol disagrees - and has sent Cpl Bol a formal notice advising him that his dreadlocks breach the standard of discipline for grooming and that he had until Monday, January 19 to remove them.
Bol has not done so - and that led to today's swearing in - where he travelled to Belmopan for the event and says he was told right there that he would not be sworn. The other 6 members were duly sworn. We reached out to the Compol for comment and he said, quote: "We anticipate that this matter may proceed to litigation, and in light of that, I have no further comment, save and except to state that the Belize Police Department is a disciplined organization."
