Ever since Canadian ex-pat Jasmine Hartin, 32, was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning last week in San Pedro on Belize s Lord Ashcroft s shadow has hung over the tragedy.
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams held a National Quarterly COMPSTAT session with his Commanders of Regions, Formations and Divisions on Thursday at the National Police Training Academy in Belmopan. It was a meeting of the top commanders from the Belize Police Department that have been held for the last seven years.
Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries along with the Chief Executive Officer were present to observe Senior Police Officers carrying out PowerPoint style presentations, focusing on their district’s three months report cards (January to March 2021) on their operations, major crimes, policing strategies, community policing, administration, supervision and human resources.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Absolutely. It is always one of our primary concerns. The eastern division is headed by ACP Rosado who I would like to say has been doing an exceptional job. Like I said, the numbers are down for the first quarter in terms of murders. We are at twenty-four murders for the first quarter compared to thirty-eight last year in the eastern division. And so one of our primary focus is when it comes to eastern division has been home invasions, a new type of crime. So, while it may not be that you are seeing an increase in murders, we are seeing a different type of crime being committed and that is why it is so important for us to strategize as a group, as a department and come up with different ways we can tackle these new forms of crime.”
The Eastern Division Police Department s Precinct One may be one of its busiest stations. The headquarters on Euphrates Avenue is a property rented from the family of politician Boots Martinez - and it has long been criticised as a questionable arrangement for the enrichment of the former minister.
So, of course, once elected, the PUP would change it. But, are they changing to a space with limited parking just to spite the former minister? Cherisse Halsall looked at the switch:
This is Precinct one located on Euphrates avenue, and this is its proposed new location, a building formerly dubbed Sen Sen located at the tight corner of West and King streets. The building was being worked on today and looks a ways from being ready.