7 News Belize

More Bulletproof Vests For Cops
posted (December 3, 2018)
Today the Commissioner of police handed out another 100 + bulletproof vests. It's a program coming out of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police which asked the county of Miami Dade for a donation of used vests. They gave gave Belize 200 last year, and 500 this year. The Compol says each officer will be responsible for his or her one:..

Allen Whylie - Commissioner of Police
"I think approximately at least over 100 as the officer said receives vests. Today 500 was received. The emphasis as I had indicated last week was on the operational units, the front line officers, the first responders and then we will also be doing the same thing in each districts. In each districts there are a quick response team that are the first to respond for any call for assistance in terms of major incidents and then we will also be looking at the relief personnel's who would ordinarily be the first responders in terms of preventative patrols."

Reporter
"How would you respond to anyone who say that some of these vests would not fot some of these police officers. These hefty police officers that are part of the first respondent line?"

Allen Whylie - Commissioner of Police
"What I will tell you is that we have catalogue the vests. We have put them in terms of sizes and those officers have been assigned those vests. So whilst there might be a few glitches today, the officers will get their appropriate size vest. Yes, indeed accountability is very important. What we have done we have catalogue the vests. We've taken the sizes as well as the serial number, as well as the brand of those vests and each officer who have been assigned one will be signing for one. The vest will become a personal item of kit. So each vests that have been issued today becomes the property of that officer as long as he remains a member of the Belize Police department. Since it's a part of his kit, when he falls in, he is expected to have his vest with him and come prepared to work."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Already their uniforms are not breathable material, you might say, and also the vests can be quite hot. Is it realistic to expect them to constantly wear these vests?"

Allen Whylie - Commissioner of Police
"It's a matter of safety. It's not a matter of being comfortable. Yes we live in a tropical area, but we got to think about safety and security. Belize has changed in terms of when officers respond now, you don't know what you will be facing and so I prefer that they are uncomfortable, but they at least have additional protective layers with them."

The incident comes after the murder of PC Osbourne Martinez - but the program was lined up before his unfortunate death.

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