Doug Singh, Minister of Police and Public Safety
"Cabinet has taken the decision - has endorsed the decision to actually seek a new Commissioner of Police, and we will be looking internationally. We've started the advertisement process and we will be doing this through the Common-Wealth Secretariat. I think we prefer Common-Wealth simply because of the similarity with the legal frame work, and experiences. So we're not limiting it to the Caribbean, but pretty much through the entire Common-Wealth Region. And I suppose we should also not limit it. Whoever applies we will review them accordingly and try to make the best selection."

Jules Vasquez
"So for the avoidance of, Doug, locals need not apply, we are looking for a foreigner-"

Doug Singh
"Oh, locals can apply, but certainly, we are going to try to select the best candidate with kind of experience of someone who can make the kind of changes that we believe is necessary. I think we ought not to fool ourselves that bringing in a foreign commissioner is going to suddenly make dramatic changes in crime. That is absolutely not our objective is at all. What we want to do is to bring in somebody who will bring structure to the organization to help to deal with some of the innate problems we have within the organization, that will help to give us the benefit of what as worked in other jurisdictions that we can we can implement to strengthen the police department, and help to rid it of corruption. Our objective is to help to deal with administrative issues that will allow us to be able to address things, probably, more expeditiously."

Jules Vasquez
"It's a department of over a thousand people. One man can't change the entire culture - one man or woman can't change the entire culture of a big organization."

Doug Singh
"We agree, but I think it's part of the start of a process of change. I think that person can bring in new systems to assist us in starting the change. Nothing happens - no change happens overnight. I think part of the problem within the police department is that whenever infractions are done, it's not taken as seriously as it ought to be taken. We have gone a long way in removing the Internal Affairs Department to Headquarters, and we are looking at strengthening that department. But that department must also have the mandate and support of not just the Executives - meaning the Minister and at the Administration level, but it also needs the support of the Commissioner of Police. I personally believe that within the Department, some of the very senior members of the Department are "way to light" on some of the issues and infractions that occur within the department. And I think bringing someone from outside will certainly put a different view on that - a different slant on that. They should have no loyalties internally, so they should be able to deal with these things impartially. We have to try anything; it is not an option to do nothing. I think the public seems to embrace this idea, and I think we need to try everything that is possible to help to improve the police department, to help to improve the security of this country generally."

Jules Vasquez
"How will this new commissioner contribute to the citizens' feeling of general well-being and safety?"

Doug Singh
"Well, all that will be part of what we think they can bring to the package. Remember that we are not just bringing in any foreign person. We're going to talk to the individuals, look at their experience, look at their ideas, and evaluate them accordingly. We expect that certainly, there might be the initial expectation of some level of security that will come along with bringing in somebody new - somebody different. Whether or not that's only realized, only time will tell. I am not going to fool myself into thinking that just bringing in somebody from abroad will have some impact on the external crime. Certainly, because here are a lot of other things - that's not the cause, it's not the Commissioner of Police that actually causes it."

Jules Vasquez
"Is it your expectation that the person will be a former police officer from some country in the Common-Wealth, from a senior officer, presumably?

Doug Singh
"Presumably"

Jules Vasquez
"That is your expectation?"

Doug Singh
"My expectation is somebody with senior level experience at the level of commissioner. I think we want somebody - recognize that Belize is larger in territory than most of our Caribbean Counterparts. Population-wise, perhaps we are not as large as some of the others, but we have to be very careful. We have to look at our situation; we have to look at somebody who can understand our situation and have the ability to manage the situation."

Jules Vasquez
"This question may sound odd, but there are obviously cultural and ethnic dimensions. Are you seeking, specifically, someone of European or North American-"

Doug Singh
"No, ethnicity is not a criterion, not at all, I don't know if ethnicity is a major thing in Belize. We're a very diverse population, and we're not really selectively trying to say a European or a Indian or an Asian or a Caribbean individual. No, that's not part of the selection process at all."

Jules Vasquez
"When you were introduced as the new Minister of this newly formed Ministry, it was taken out of National Security. There were great hopes, and there still is. However, crime in that time has only gone up."

Doug Singh
"Indeed."

Jules Vasquez
"Might we be facing the same thing within 15 months after this commissioner has been here a year, being that crime is such a complex and bedeviling issue. No single individual personality, for all your business-smarts, result-oriented behavior, you have been unable to bring crime down."

Doug Singh
"And we can't predict what will happen, Jules. I think if we had a crystal ball, it would be a wonderful thing. Certainly, we would try; we cannot stop trying."

The island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is the other Caribbean Territory to have introduced a foreign Commissioner Of Police. He is Canadian Dwayne Gibbs, who was introduced six months ago and has gotten less than rave reviews so far.

And while the Belize model could certainly be different, the success of any incoming officer would depend on how much support he does or does not get form his senior command, first, and the rank and file, second.

There are presently five assistant commissioner of police and one deputy. The Deputy James Magdaleno is approaching retirement within a month and a half. But three of the five assistants are more than a decade from retirement, while the other two assistants still have good years of service left.

But now they are being passed over - we asked Singh is this will destroy morale…

Doug Singh, Minister of Police and Public Safety
"The Commissioner will continue to be the Commissioner until this new person comes aboard. So we actually extend the Commissioner's contract to facilitate that period until we get that person in place. We have been advised that it is possible that we may have that person as early as in 90 days - as in 3 months - and on the outside in 6 months. So we are going to work, certainly, diligently to bring somebody on board at the earliest."

Jules Vasquez
"By not bringing someone upfront within the ranks, do you accept that it may have a devastating effect - or an adverse effect let's say - on moral?"

Dough Singh
"I don't necessarily believe that. I spoke with all the Assistant Commissioners of Police who would have been in line. They're aware that Mr. Magdaleno, who is the Acting Deputy Commissioner, is retiring in about a month and a half. I think he goes on pre-retirement leave next week Tuesday. Which means that Mr. Magdaleno has effectively retired in a very short period. The other Assistant Commissioners of Police - I've talked to all of them; I certainly do not get that sense. I think that they also look at this optimistically and as an opportunity the Department. The buy-in - we have a young senior management in the Department. We have Officer Aragon, who is 37 years-old. We have Segura, who I believe is about 42 year-old if I'm not mistaken, and we have Leal, who is also an Assistant Commissioner of Police, who is 44 years-old. We actually have a young senior command. We also have 2 others: Officer Wade and Officer Henderson, who are towards - closer to the retirement age. I believe that they are about within 20 and 24 months respectively, from their retirement dates. But I think we have the benefit of, certainly, young people - new people who will embrace change. And we also have senior people who can bring experience of the Department. And I think the proper mesh is also going to benefit anybody who comes to the department."

Jules Vasquez
"Isn't it implicit in this that the senior officers - the senior core - specifically Henderson and Wade - Mr. Magdaleno is on his way out. Isn't this implicity that you don't have what we need to lead the department at this time? You don't stock up for our needs at this time."

Doug Singh
"I wouldn't want to put it that way. I think what we have to do is start to look at doing things differently. A number of the people in the Department would, perhaps, operate under the status quo with the resources that they have, with the knowledge that they have. I think we'll be foolhardy to believe that if we continue to do things the same way, we can expect different results. I think it is time for us to get new ideas, new energies to help carve our direction - our route, perhaps in a different direction."

Government proposes to offer this new Compol a one year contract, initially. On a related note, Jules asserted in the interview and Minister Singh agreed that crime had gone up since he took over in June of 2010.

His CEO who sat in on the interview was quick to point out after the interview that homicides have indeed gone up, but other crimes such as theft and burglary are down, they claim, by 25 to 30%. He said they will furnish statistics demonstrating this…