The Placencia Peninsula, it's an interesting mix of the few remaining descendants of a fishing village and an ever-growing population of wealthy expats who've transformed the peninsula into a Millionaire's playground, the likes of which is only equalled in San Pedro.
But with those moneyed interests come security interests as well. And, now that the case against Kareem Martinez has concluded, perhaps Belizeans should cast an eye on the racial undertones that are evident in the discriminatory treatment that Laddie Gillette and Thomas Palacio faced while walking on a public beach adjacent to a Placencia poverty owner's private land.
And even more poignantly tonight, we want to look at the private weapon that Officer Clyde Augustine ended up carrying onto the scene. A few weeks back when Augustine was cross-examined in Justice Antoinette Moore's court he confessed that while he hadn't carried his police weapon with him on the night in question he was armed with a weapon that had been a gift from a Placencia expat.
Last month I asked Commissioner Williams for his feelings on that gift and whether there may have been any strings attached to it, and today I put the same question to attorney Dickie Bradley.
Reporter
"What I want to ask about is the fact that he said this weapon was a gift from an expat property owner. if it is that these expats in Placencia are arming these officers so that when they call them, they come quickly and they somehow do their bidding?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"I don't know that that is the case but we have over 2000 police officers and we don't have weapons to give every police officer who goes on duty, and so when police officers do have a gun license, uhm we have no problem with them taking their licenced firearm to work as a part of their security, however, when the weapon is used in the execution of their duty we treat the weapon as if it is a department's weapon. It must go through the process as we would do with any other person who used that gun in committing a crime or to defend themselves and so where that is concerned it is not that much of an issue. In terms of the police officer giving that officer a weapon oftentimes people do change weapons and the one that they may not, that they are changing, they may hand that over to a friend or a relative or some even give it back to the department and we don't have any issue with that so long as they go through the proper process."
Cherisse Halsall:
"It is interesting though, Sir, that these men are arming the department. I would think that you would have questions about that."
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"It's not a matter of arming the department if someone comes for example. If you have a father or a brother who has a weapon and doesn't want it anymore or wants to change it and they give you a, they hand it over to you, and you get a license for it. I don't see anything wrong with it."
Cherisse Halsall:
"I understand that, but these men have specific interests around guarding their properties, um, where if you've lived in Placencia you know that they create something of a kingdom of their own within our country. For that reason, it is concerning that they are arming the police?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner Of Police
"I wouldn't see it that way, unfortunately, I don't have the ability to read minds and so I would not know what the reason behind it is but from my standpoint looking at it I don't see an issue with it, no."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Sir how do you feel about the Comissioner's comments that he has no problem with Placencia landowners arming his police because sometimes he doesn't have enough guns, and when we asked him, if he thinks there is any motive behind Placencia landowners arming police, he said he can't read minds?"
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"Private persons can't arm the police."
Reporter:
"But that is what happened in this case."
Cherisse Halsall:
"A gift, this was a weapon that was made a gift from a land owner to a police officer who was not a security guard at his property."
"The Officer is licensed to hold a gun but this private landowner gifted him a weapon which then he took to this scene regardless of the fact that he had signed out a licensed weapon to carry to this scene, the gun he shows up on the scene with is not police issued."
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-At-Law
"Well, let's look at it from this angle. I'm sure the police would welcome any gifts of vehicles, ammunition and guns, but it must go through the Commissioner of Police office not from me to you, nobody can't be giving police guns. Guns are the biggest problem in Belize right now."
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