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There's going to be a senior shakeup in the police department after yesterday's chaotic events at the Port of Belize. As the Police Minister made very clear last night - there will be, quote, "hell to pay" for whoever gave the directive to invoke the riot act during a protest inside the Port of Belize compound.

The man under the most pressure is the Officer Commanding Eastern Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Alden Dawson. He was the officer in charge on the ground, and the man who got the directive saying that the workers should be left to protest peaceably on the compound.

Here's how explicitly the Police Minister put it yesterday:

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General

"My instructions to the Commissioner was clear. I am sure that his instructions to his commander was also clear. Because there was a three-way phone call that had myself, the Commissioner and the Commander for that Division and the instructions were clear that those persons were to remain there until at the very least the court had ruled. Somebody, some police officer or police officers decided upon themselves obviously to ignore those instructions."

And so if the Minister was clear and the Commissioner was clear, how did the message get so confused when it went down the chain of command?

Best information says the mix-up occurred somewhere between ACP Dawson, and the GSU personnel on the ground, including the officer who read the riot proclamation. We are also told that the officer commanding the GSU has taken some level of responsibility for the actions of his men.

Best information suggests that ACP Dawson, being the most senior officer may take the brunt of it. Reliable reports say he could be placed on administrative leave while an investigation is ongoing. For the interim, at least, a newly named Assistant Commissioner, Dr. Richard Rosado would reportedly take the helm as Officer commanding Eastern Division.

There's no word yet on what will happen to the GSU but some transfers are expected.

Today the commissioner of police would only say that nothing has been decided as yet, and the decision will be announced tomorrow.