It is day 8 of the State of Emergency in Belize City and as we told you last night, all the detainees have been given written reasons for their detention. Again, those grounds are as follows: "That you are engaged in acts prejudicial to public safety and public order, or the instigation of such acts and more specifically that you are engaged in gang activities, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, and murder".
So in total 40 men have been provided these written statements and have been sent to prison. That’s 30 from the George Street gang and 10 from Banak. Now you may remember that police had detained over 100 men in the initial round up. Well, police have released over 70 men. Today at the bi-weekly press briefing, DCP Chester Williams told us that the police let those men go because some of them aren’t active gang members and some of the younger men are going to school.
The police pretty much gave them a break. But will these men take a break from crime now that they are back on the streets ? Or will the anger from being cooped up in a cell for a week drive them to retaliate? No one knows for sure but Williams says he won’t waste any time worrying about the emotional state of these released men but he will focus on his plan if they get out of line.
DCP Chester Williams - Commander OPS
“When are we as society going to stop worrying about when gang members get angry, why don’t we worry when the masses of us get enough of what this handful of young men are doing to our community. Are we going to succumb to one handful of people or are we going to fulfil the wishes of the majority who want to live in a peaceful society, in a peaceful community. If they want to be angry and want to go out and perpetuate criminal or gang activities, I am not going to beg them not to. If they do that, I will know what to do and believe you me, I know what to do, it is a matter forthem.”
Williams says that police have detained the lead gang figures and are looking for two more gang bosses. 7News has learned that they have a list of 24 more gang related persons they plan to detain.
On another note relating to detention procedures, if officers in any other formation spot any city gang members, the officers will detain them in their jurisdiction as if they were within the emergency zones – so all police formations countrywide are on the alert.
Email
Print