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Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I am satisfied, specifically with the performance of our police department in the second half of 2024. The first half, as you would recall, we had a sharp increase in the number of domestic murders, I believe for the first time in a long time, domestic related murders or crimes of jealousy, so to speak actually were more, I think, 18 in 2024 compared to gang related murders, which were 17 in 2024. And so that is of great concern. And the importance of, meeting a session like this with comstat is not just to review, the last quarter of 2024, but all of 2024 to see how much we can better the strategies that we formulate moving into 2025."

"The numbers pretty much mirror last year's numbers in terms of homicides. We always want to keep it below 100 this year. It might be wishful thinking, but one day I want to see it go below 50 murders. I know that we can't prevent all crimes, especially crimes of passion, that the police are not going to be at the scene for something like that. But certainly, we can see where the second half of 2024 proves to us that peace is possible, particularly in the Eastern division, where we saw a remarkable reduction overall, not just in homicides, but also in major crimes. And so, that is what we're utilizing these numbers in creating our strategies for 2025."

Who Gets The Credit For Historic Eastern Division Outturn?

So, now that everyone is pleased about the numbers - who gets the credit. Last week, you may have picked up on the slight friction between the chairlady of the LIU and the commissioner of Police - but today, it was all kumbaya:

Jules Vasquez
"Who's responsible for that sharp downturn. And you also have to put an attribute for the five months of SOE that we endured in 2024."

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"It was four months. But all of the above Jules, I think all of those, very important, positions that you mentioned, the Leadership Intervention Unit, our Commissioner of Police, the head of the Eastern Division. Mr. Romero, I think this success can be attributed to all of them, but especially all of the hard working members of the Belize Police Department. In being able, like I said, to keep those numbers down for 2024."

"And I think utilizing all the tools that we have in our toolkit, we have seen where every single tool is important, every single position, every single person is important to bring these numbers down."

Will Police Continue To Rely On SOE Strategy?

And while Minister Musa wanted to praise every point of light - you may have seen him dodge our reference to the 4 months of SOE's in 2024, which had a major downward effect on crime. In fact, every year for the last 6 years has seen SOE's. So, will that crude policing tool be used again in 2025? We asked:...

Jules Vasquez
"It's clear that the police department is unable to keep homicides down without significant SOE's. That's what the last six years going back to the UDP has shown us."

"Will we see a 2025 without police and the government using that very blunt, crude, blunt instrument of SOE where citizens are deprived of their rights and liberties."

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Like I mentioned, Jules, I think the year 2024 and the latter part specifically of 2024 demonstrates to us that peace is possible within the streets of Belize City and other parts of the country where we have gang related crimes. I am hopeful that we will not be needing an SOE, because I think a lot of these young men who are, many of them are members of the LIU program, can see that the government is going above and beyond to provide alternatives for them, whether it is skills training, whether it is, sporting activities, whether it is a a job."

ComPol Won't Swear Against Using SOE's

And just like the Minister, the Compol wouldn't swear off on SOE's...

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Like minister have said to you, as a department we employ every tool possible to secure the peace of our people. SOE is not something that we use willingly. It is something that we use sparingly and in exceptional circumstances."

"If the need should present itself that we need an SOE, certainly I'll be the first to recommend the minister to do it, because at the end of the day we must do what is right to secure our people including to secure those same young men who have issues with each other."

"I can tell you that even sometimes their own family members are asking for it because they believe that if it is not done, they are going to lose their loved ones."

Is ComPol Chester Taking Blows For Minister Kareem?

But whether or not there's a state of emergency, the Minister of Home Affairs has retained a surprisingly resilient public image. Unlike previous ministers of National Security or Home Affairs, he remains mostly unscathed by the blight of crime. We asked him if its due to the strong public presence of the Compol:...

Jules Vasquez
"I feel that because of the exceptionalism of the commissioner, and the exceptionalism - I want to specify - at public relations, that you have been spared and you have been unscathed by the fact that we still live in a very dangerous country where crime is a major national public concern."

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I mentioned this morning in our CompStat meeting. He does that every year. And I heard you on one of the morning shows mentioned that, the police department has taken a special inclination towards the metric of homicides. But what you don't realize is that you created that metric for us. Every single year under the UDP, you would only criticize them one time a year and give them a failing report card at the end of each year. But every week I get a question from Channel Seven specifically asking me whether I am concerned that this week's murders concerns me, because last week's last year's murder this week is lower. And so every single time for 364 days, we are bombarded with questions and criticisms specifically from channel seven."

"And so I wouldn't say that I, I'm unscathed because I get criticism from the media and that is important. The media, it plays a very crucial role in keeping us accountable, not just myself as minister or the commissioner of police, but at the same time for that one day out of the 365 days, we can say congratulations to our police officers for the hard work that they're doing, the LIU for the hard work that they're doing. Because we don't listen to the noise. The noise is constant. But at the same time, I think the public is aware that we are doing our very best, in terms of improving, not just or Belize Police Department, but also, our greatest fight, which is the fight against crime."

GOB Still Can't Get License Plates Straight

And we turn back now to the Prime Minister. In the last house meeting a month ago, he said the chronic shortage of license plates and license stickers would be addressed.

But, the shortage at the Transport Department persists and the team led by Minister Rodwell Ferguson just can't seem to get it right. We asked the PM why nothing has happened since the house meeting commitment he made:...

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well what happened is that before that house meeting I did meet with minister Ferguson and the acting CEO Shal and what they did they ordered a large number of license plates and stickers and what has happened is that CEO Shal Confessed that he did not know the extent of the need that was out there and that's why that's finished. We already have another order and I am to check with the ministry of finance to see if they have already made the payment, an order has already been made that would with this order we should be able to address all the needs going forward."

PM Won't Touch Topic Of Proposed Panamanian Contract

And the PM wanted nothing to do with the proposed contract to the Belize Port Authority from a Panamanian firm. We told you about the 1.3 million us dollar proposals earlier this week and the PM said it is D-E-D:

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well I think I don't know why we continue on that path it has already been said that it has not been approved end of story."

Jo-
"But Reports are that the former chairman Major Lloyd Jones' refusal to embrace that contract was the reason for his term not being renewed. What can you say about that?"

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That's an absolute lie that's not true."