And while those are two feel good stories for police - the next one is bad news for the cops, but good news for the community. A police officer has been charged for extorting an American man for not using a mask.
It's a new pattern of corruption that we blew the whistle on weeks ago - where cops try to make a quick come up on persons who forgot to wear their mask and really don't want to face that five thousand dollar fine.
The Commissioner got wise to it this weekend when an American man complained that a Cop shook him down for $300 at the Tower Hill checkpoint in Orange Walk. One of the officers at the checkpoint told him that it was an offense to approach a checkpoint without a mask. The officer then took him to the back of the vehicle where he told him that they can work out something so as not to face the steep fine. The American alleged that he offered the police officer $50.00 and the cop declined. He then offered offered $300.00 which the cop allegedly accepted.
The police officer was detained and tonight we can confirm that he has been charged.
38 year old Constable Reginald Diego Jr. 38yrs from Libertad Village, Corozal was criminally charged for extortion today.
Now, that is an indictable offence which has to be tried in the Supreme court, which is a long and winding process through the courts. But, the COMPOL wants to change that with an amended State of Emergency S.I.:
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"But I suggested to the AG that what we can do, whenever we amend the S.I. Again any member of the security force who accepts money from any person to avoid prosecution under the regulation commits an offense and the penalty for that will be one year imprisonment and that will give us the ability to be able to deal more swiftly with officers who have the propensity of using the S.I. to extort people."
Cherisse Halsall:
"I have to ask Sir in light of this suggest provision is it because your receiving more and more reports of extortion going on?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"Yes of course and we have to find a way to nip this as quick as we can and I believe that such a provision will serve as a strong deterrent to police officers who may want to do it, because they will know that it won't take this 3-4 years in supreme court, it will be dealt with more swiftly."
Diego will also face internal disciplinary charges.
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