7 News Belize

When Will “Emergency Areas” Be Activated?
posted (March 28, 2018)
Now, that is separate and apart from the Government's response to the spike in crime last week in which 64 year-old Theresita Flowers and 17 year-old Delcia Blanco were murdered in their home.

In an effort to curb crime in Belize City, the Government has decided that different parts of the Southside will be designated as emergency areas.

The Police will also have the authority to detain key gang members and hold them beyond 48 hours without any charge.

Taking a brief pause from the Senate Meeting, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte granted 7News an interview discussing it. Here's what he had to say about the progress with that initiative at this time:

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General
"I think we are in the final stages of that. I think we completed it yesterday and the national security ministry, along with the AG's ministry - we have sat down, we have worked out exactly where the police want these areas to be demarcated. I think the Governor General should be signing those any minute now."

Daniel Ortis, reporter
"Are you able to provide any details or are you waiting for the Prime Minister to reveal them?"

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General
"I would prefer for the Prime Minister to reveal it or it comes out of the Governor General's office. I would prefer for the Governor General to reveal it and then once he reveals it then he will be there for everybody to see it."

Daniel Ortis, reporter
"There is this concern that these new measures will allow the government this, or at least this authority to just detain people for that preventative detention type setup which was something that the general public resisted when it first came about."

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General
"You have to remember, even without the new thing signed by the Governor General, the proclamation, it's illegal to be part of a gang. So when you have these gang funerals and these gang processions, that's not a legal thing. That's illegal to begin with. So yes, people will be detained for being members of gangs. People will be detain for professing their membership to gangs, but in addition to that, you don't have to be a gang member to be detain by the police for an indefinite period of time once these new regulations are put into place, if it is believe that that is necessary to maintain the peace. It is a desperate measure, in terms of the law, but we are living in desperate times where the people want answers. The people want this craziness to stop."

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