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San Pedro Townspeople Demand Answers From COMPOL
posted (June 27, 2019)
We caught up with Williams last night after a two and a half hour town meeting where he was served up as the featured guest. We say "served up" because that crowd wanted blood, or at least some very solid action oriented answers about what happens next to restore confidence for visitors who feel unsafe and are calling in with cancellations left and right.

7news was at the meeting, and here's how it went:..

A visibly tired Commissioner opened the meeting on a note of vulnerability:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I must say that it had indeed been a difficult time for me. I am doing my utmost best with the support of my staff to ensure that we find those persons who are responsible for the death of Dr. Swank and Mr. Graniel. I can assure you that I am not going to rest until they are caught."

And though the Compol certainly looked like he needed some rest - he would get no respite from this crowd - who filled up the basketball court and the bleachers at San Pedro High School. They carried placards with a variety of messages and made their points with passionate conviction.

Police responded with proposals to hire 12 additional special constables, install 10 security cameras across the island, and permanent vehicular checkpoints:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We are going to establish a permanent checkpoint. Those officers to be employed will be used specifically to patrol north Ambergris Caye."

But while these are preventative measures, townspeople wanted to know what's going to be done to strike at the root of the problem - which is the criminal gangs that maraud the island:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"There are certain things that will be done where gangs are concerned, but I am not going to say that at this time. You will just see it when it occurs, but I can tell you that we are going to do all we can to be able to rid San Pedro of those gang members who want to operate and hold the masses of this community hostage."

This mother knows all too well about that. She told the gathering her story of coming forward as a witness to a murder on the island, and then living with the chilling repercussions:

Participant
"I am a mother to the 2 persons I testified against. I have been harassed and threaten and they send messages and calling me and even said that I am going to suffer and the first person that he is going to go after is going to be my daughter. I am standing here and I am not afraid. If I have to do it again, I will do it over and over again. Because if we do not stand up and fight against criminals and against all the cor5ruption, we will never solve the problem. We can be standing here, listening and complaining all we want, but if we do not stand up and do something and help the police officers, how can we expect any different in this community? If tomorrow I see something else, I will get up and report it again. The olny way they could stop me is by what they have been telling by killing me, but before that I would have already reported them."

And that was - mostly - the spirit of the evening that this community needs to come together and face down the cancer of crime which is enveloping it:

Danny Guerrero, Mayor - San Pedro
"We have a cancer and that cancer we need to cure."

Hon. Manuel Heredia, Area Rep./Minister of Tourism
"Today we are here to find solutions. Not to fight with one another. We need one another. We know that we are upset about things, including myself, but it is not time for fighting or for argument. It is time for joining forces."

Danny Guerrero, Mayor - San Pedro
"Organized crime is not easy and we all need to come together with good suggestions so we can move forward and still keep selling Belize a safe, because Belize is still safe."

Hon. Manuel Heredia, Area Rep./Minister of Tourism
"Already we hear it's no longer La Isla Bonita, its La Isla Peligrosa. Very sad, very hurting, but probably it is time that we give back our island the name that it has and the name that it deserves."

But, last night, the optimists were in the minority view, many of these folks have been dealing with the direct effect of Sunday's double murder:

Participant
"Tonight I had to answer another 15 emails from guests who cancelled because they read the New York Post about Belize. What should I tell these guests to make them feel safe and comfortable?"

Hon. Manuel Heredia
"I believe even though it is one case, it is an isolated one ta this point, but we cannot allow this to continue, so you can tell your people that this is one example of what we are trying to do that we are coming together and I am sure that we have done it before and we can do it again, that we have total control again of this types of things not happening."

But those platitudes rang hollow on a night when the community demanded urgent action:

Participant
"Excuse me leaders, if you cannot do your job then you need to go."

Chester Williamss, Commissioner of Police
"My record since I took over as commissioner speaks for itself. I don't sit in an office like a fortress and give directions. As you can see I am out here, I'm hands on and I do this everyday, because I love what I do. Chester Williams knows Chester Williams and my integrity remains intact and it will remain that way."

And through what must be something akin to the fog of war, Williams shared a vulnerable moment:

Chester Williamss, Commissioner of Police
"As the commissioner of police I have an enormous task for a small man like me, but I take my job seriously and I do it with a passion. Since Sunday I've hardly slept, but it comes with the territory. All I want is to ensure that we find those persons who are responsible, get them to prison where they belong and to make San Pedro safer for each and everyone of you and for our tourists."

Heartfelt, no doubt, but we can't say he won the crowd over - after all they had a meeting like this just a year ago - and this time actions, not words will determine the community buy-in.

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