Commissioner of Police Chester Williams isn't playing with Police Corporal Eldon Arzu - who is the President of the Police Association. In January, Williams signed a statutory instrument saying that no officer can serve more than two terms as the association president. Arzu had just been elected to his sixth.
Arzu took the Commissioner's S.I. to the Supreme Court for judicial review. While that matter is before the court, the Commissioner has escalated. We have received a Police message to all formations from the Commissioner dated yesterday which says, quote, "Corporal Eldon Arzu is not authorized and should not be allowed to conduct any business on behalf of the Police Association, including holding meeting with personnel's from the Belize Police Department. Commanders are hereby directed that they should not facilitate or tolerate Arzu in holding meetings with personnels at their respective formations. The office of the Commissioner of police will not honor anything from Arzu as it relates to the Police Association and neither should the commanders at the various formations.:" End quote.
That is literally pulling the plug on Arzu and pulling the rug from under him - voiding his authority significantly, if not completely. It's an administrative "fatwa" on the corporal which Williams made it clear he was minded to carry out from March:
Chester Williams- Police Commissioner
"Corporal Arzu needs to understand that he is a police officer and he is subject to the Commissioner of Police. The police act clearly states that the association works for the commissioner of police and advises the commissioner on welfare issues other than promotions and transfer. The previous commissioner had given Corporal Arzu some directives. Corporal Arzu has refused to comply with the
previous commissioner's directives. Well, I am going to say to him, I am a different person. I am not going to allow any member of this department to believe that they are bigger than the department; because none of us are, not even me. Corporal Arzu is a member of the police department, he is subject to the discipline of this organization and once you have done anything which is wrong as is a breach of discipline, he will be dealt with like any other person because he is not above the law."
Those remarks, again, are from March. We expect that Arzu won't go without a fight - and we'll keep you posted.
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