And all this talk about beefing up the GSU, got us wondering about the effectiveness of police deployments. Two years ago, before the precinct system the eastern division patrol branch had approximately 150 officers; but now with the precincts, there are at least three times that number spread across the four precincts - a 200% increase. Add to that the 10 man quick response team and the 35 man GSU - that's a lotta cops on the street. Additionally, police are going to add 50% of the new intake to eastern division. But, crime still spikes as it will. So we asked are the increased numbers effective:.
Allen Whylie - Commissioner of Police
"I can commit that over 50% of that recruiting squad again will be deployed to Belize City."
Jules Vasquez
"It seems from the outside that you all keep throwing more personnel at the problem, but you are not fixing it. We don't know the crime statistics for Belize City because you refuse to release it, although you promise, but I am saying that it appears that you all think that this is a problem and can be solved with man power, but you are at 300% more and the problem is still there. So obviously it is not the problem that can be solved with man power. Do you sir know what the problem really is and you have any idea how to really fix it?"
Allen Whylie - Commissioner of Police
"There is a number of issues Jules. In terms of your number that you quoted I cannot say that that was the number that was at the existing patrol branch. You must understand that Belize City has grown, it has expanded, not only in terms of businesses, houses etc., but also in terms of population. And so yes we put numbers because I didn't believe that we'll ever have sufficient numbers, but what we have got to improve on is the community engagement."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I don't know that it's fair to say well you are throwing larger numbers at the problem and you are not solving it - its unknowable. But if we haven't thrown the larger numbers, how much worse might the situation not have been."
Jules Vasquez
"Have you ever thought of trying something else other than just hurdling more man power at a problem which apparently you are not solving?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Your question as to whether, then we ought not to try something else, I thought I said to you a while ago, a great length that's what I've been agreeing with the police on, that new approaches and new efforts have got to be made."
And, we'll have just a little more from the press conference later on.
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