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7News was there, and Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
9 police officers were singled out today out by their police bosses as examples of men and women, who went beyond the call of duty, and displayed bravery and good decision-making, even under the threat of danger.

Their commander, Police Commissioner Chester Williams, said today that his joy as an administrator is seeing members of the rank and file excel in this way.

Chester Williams - Police Commissioner
"I have reasons to be happy that I'm a police, and and more so, that I'm the leader of this very good profession, the Belize Police Department. And my gratification comes as a result of the good work, that I see my officers do on a daily basis. Whether it is patrolling the streets on a regular basis, or going to homes conducting searches, or intercepting a criminal committing a crime in progress, or something of that sort, but there is always something out there, every day, that could make us all happy to be police officers."

And on this day, his happiness was to say thanks to the officers who foiled the robbery in progress at A&R Store in Belize City, on Saturday morning. They came under fire, but, despite that, they defused a very dangerous situation, got the armed robbers to hand themselves over, recovered the stolen money, and everyone left the scene without injury.

Chester Williams - Police Commissioner
"That incident demonstrates the bravery of police officers. You know, police officers who go into the line of fire, and being fire upon, and did not retreat. They stood their ground and ensured that it was the criminal who had to surrender, and not the police."

Corporal Sheldon Hernandez was among those 6 officers who responded to that robbery, and he is credited as the officer who talked the very young suspects down, into making the right decision to surrender, instead of making matters worse for themselves and the scared victims they had just robbed.

Corporal Sheldon Hernandez - Awardee
"We did our best, tried to keep our cool, due to the fact that it was very stressful. Upon entering the building, I myself was fired [upon]. Like I said, the experience and the training being in the police department that I have received, I remain cool, and I maneuvered the situation, and see how best we can get every person, including the suspects alive, and out of the building."

Reporter
"Explain to us the negotiating tactics you used in in terms of, obviously, these are young people making a bad decision."

Corporal Sheldon Hernandez
"Well, for example, I did talk to the person. I just explained to him that he has his life to live, and the building was surrounded by police. So, he needed to make one option. And I as the person - it seems to be that it was a negotiating situation, because we were having an exchange of words. So, I explained to him that if he does come out alive, we'll just take him into custody, and that no harm will be done to him. So, it seems to me like the released one of the - it seems to me like it was a hostage, because he had the security guard hostage. So, he released the security guard, placed the item down, which was a firearm, and then he walked out with his other assailant, or accomplice."

And then there are the 3 officers from the Prosecution Branch who came upon a burglary in progress

Chester Williams - Police Commissioner
"We have the police officers from prosecution branch who out in Hattieville delivering prisoners, and they got information of a burglary in progress. They responded; they caught the burglars; recovered everything stolen - that is exemplary work."

"These brave men and women could have simply said, you know, we are not here for that. We're going back to Belize. We have delivered our prisoners. Let Hattieville police deal with that. But, they sprang into action, very quickly."

Woman Police Constable Linda Chun was among those 3 officers, and she was the one who spotted a suspicious man leaving a house with a TV in his hand.

WPC Linda Chun - Awardee
"On our way back, between mile 10 and 11 up the highway, which we call Almond Hill, I saw male person coming out of a yard with a TV in his hand, and my co-worker said, 'Hey, those guys are stealing.' So, we set chase. When he put on the siren for the police van, the guy turned around and looked, and he saw that it was a police officer, he set down the TV, and he ran toward a parked vehicle. That's where we set chase, because they were about to move. And we intercepted the vehicle, and we apprehended him. He went inside the vehicle, and we told him to come out because our co-workers were prepared. And that's when we apprehended the 7 persons. We had detained 3 person, 3 males, and 4 minors along with them."

Reporter
"At any point were you frightened or even scared due to the fact that they could have had weapons. They could have fired shots at you guys."

WPC Linda Chun
"Yes, in the beginning, when we set chase, that came into our minds, but we had firearms with us."

So, while only these officers are receiving awards today, the Police Commissioner assured other well-deserving police men and women in the department that their efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Chester Williams - Police Commissioner
"Now, while we have a number of officers who will be awarded today, that does not mean that there are not many other officers out there who are worthy of being awarded as well. But you would understand that we can only award for the best of the best."

"So, to the officers who are not being recognized today, and believe that you deserve a recognition, I say to you, please, keep up the good work. Do not give up. Do not think that because your work is not being recognized here today, that your work is not recognized. We see every good work that our officers do."

The officers also got a small gift as a token of appreciation.