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At a press conference today, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa said they had to urgently press pause on the violence:

Kareem Musa, Minister Of Home Affairs
"That these young men will stop at nothing and so we have to hit the pause button for the community members."

A pause for the community but if you're gang affiliated, it mean police swarming your neighborhood before dawn this morning.

The state of emergency was declared in two zones of the city.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"As Minister has rightly said that the decision to institute a state of emergency was made yesterday and 3 key areas were declared under the state of emergency, those areas are the entire area from south of orange street, north of Reggae Street, west of Albert Street, and east of Central American boulevard. That captures George Street and SSG area, the other area is the other area situated north of Orange Street, south of water lane, west of Albert Street, and East of Collet canal which captures the Taylor's alley area and the third and final area is all that area of land situated West of Central America Boulevard south and East of George Price Highway and North of Faber Road so that captures a technically the entire extension area, so those are the areas of operation for the S.O.E."

Kareem Musa, Minister Of Home Affairs
"To the members of the press here today we invited you to this press briefing a we felt it was important to update the nation on a decision that was made yesterday, in relation to the recent spate of violence that initially started in the George street area of Belize City and thereafter spilled over to Cesar Ridge and then Taylor's Alley, the decision that was made of course was not an easy one but it is of paramount importance that we provide safety and security for our law abiding citizens and based on the intelligence that the police had been gathering this decision had to be made for a state of emergency within this very limited area."

So far 25 gang affiliates have been detained but police say they are looking for a few dozen more:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We have so far detained a number of 25 persons thereabout, they are still a few persons we are looking for and GI3 has been tasked to create the wanted posters for those persons who thanks to the media Channel 7 in particular who said on the news last night that there was going to be an S.O.E., I don't know how Jules got that but that certainly caused a number of these persons to have fled the areas of concern and they may have gone elsewhere."

This is the third year in a row that the Ministry of Home Affairs has been forced to declare a state of emergency in August, but the Commissioner says this big stick method to put a pause in tensions will be vital to achieving a resolution.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Certainly, it's not a reflection that law enforcement effort is failing but a reflection that we need to do more and we are going to continue to work with those groups who are cooperating. I have said to the LIU people that I wasn't going to do an intervention with the warring groups right now because it wouldn't serve the purpose that they go and kill somebody and expect that oh I will go and kill and they are just going to a mediation, and things done and then, later down the road they kill again. It makes us look like fools and so I said I was not going to mediate with them until the investigators have done what needs to be done, picked up and charged who needs to be charged and then the remaining factions in different areas, I don't have an issue bringing them to the table for mediation. So, once we have plucked out the people that need to be plucked out from the different areas, we are going to bring in the others who remain who we are not going to send to prison and we're going to have a meditation with them to make sure that we keep things under the condition that we want it to be."

Kareem Musa, Minister Of Home Affairs
"Let me make it very clear as I have said before a state of emergency is not a solution, it is a tool as the Commissioner rightfully said to hit the pause button to give a cooling off period for warring factions who are unrelenting and who will stop at nothing to continue in their retaliation."

And while these men will be detained for at least 30 days while being denied their fundamental constitutional rights - Musa says he may be saving their lives:

Kareem Musa, Minister Of Home Affairs
"What that result in is saving these young men's lives - and yes they will be in prison and it is up to them to cool off and if they come out it will be right back at prison again because we cannot countenance that we cannot continue with that."

"And that is how we have to look at crime, there is a pill for everything, this may be called the Bukele pill, there is the William Dawson pill, for all those young men who are saying I do not want to live this life."

The COMPOL says that he plans to round up 45 gang members before the S.O.E comes to an end in 30 days. At that point it can be extended for another 30 days.