Last night we showed you images of the Belizeans who participated in a virtual Black lives matter protest. It was an initiative spearheaded by activist Ya Ya Marin Coleman, a woman who maintains that Belizeans, who share a common ancestry with African Americans, must stand in solidarity with them.
And while many support that move for solidarity others questioned whether it was misplaced noting that police civilian relations in Belize are of a different character.
This afternoon Jules Vasquez asked the Comissioner how he feels about the fatal knee on neck hold that Minneapolis police put on George Floyd, and whether that is used in Belize:
Reporter
"That kneeling position which was used on George Floyd and led to his death the famous 9 minutes upon his neck, is that something that you all use in Belize? I've never seen it used, but it is taught at the police training academy?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"No, we don't use that in Belize, that knee thing in the neck and again, the slowest of person would know that, if you apply pressure to a person neck for 9 minutes that the person is going to die and so there is absolutely no excuse for the action of that officer in question and in deed it has raised the conversation. The discussion has now began in terms of what police officers are doing. While we dont have that culture in Belize, where police officers are targeting a certain ethnicity, we have to still look at ourselves and see what reform we can do to enhance the service that we do offer to the public and so when that occur, it has to raised concerns for not only the department where it occurred, but for the entire police departments across the world and so yes there is certain things that we must look at in terms of our strategies and so forth and I am pleased to say that hopefully by the end of this month we will be launching the new policy manual which will outline to police officers the different policies that that must apply when dealing with different situations."
Reporter
"But you all still use the chokehold. I know my young camera man he has been a victim of it at the agricultural show some years ago, but I'm saying that the chokehold is something we do use and we know that some departments in the States are also outlawing that, the use of the chokehold."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The chokehold is a technique and it is something that you must be trained to do, if you are not trained to do it you could cause somebody death easily. Again, It is not something that we normally do, there are a few officers who may be trained to do it, so to say that we are going to remove it from a part of our policy, it is not a part of our policy, but there is nothing wrong to say to officers who may have the expertise in doing it to let them understand that you no longer do it."
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