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Cops Using Seatbelt Law To "Come Up"
posted (May 1, 2024)
And in police news, since the new seatbelt law, there have been complaints of cops abusing the threat of a fine to extort drivers. Today the ComPol said that the PSB is currently investigating one such incident. He added that they're working on reducing the penalty to just a ticket to hopefully mitigate officers who want to make a quick buck.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"We have received information of a police officer extorting some people on Cristo Rey Road. That's the Cayo District and PSB is currently investigating that matter. We have not been able to confirm if in fact the information is true but there is reason to believe it is so PSB is dealing with it and as soon as they are through with the investigation then we'll update the media."

Courtney Menzies:
"Have you gotten any complaints, because we have gotten some through our website, complaints of persons who say that police are using the new seatbelt law to extort more drivers?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well I hope not. The complaint from Cristo Rey Road had to do with that issue of seatbelt and we will be lobbying to government or parliament to see how we can get the seatbelt law a ticketable offense as opposed to an arrestable offense. To arrest a person for a seatbelt is extremely tedious, it's a lengthy process so if we can make it a ticketable offense, it is easier to both the offender and the police officers because when we have to remove officers off the street to charge someone for seatbelt, we leave the street open because the police officers could be out there patrolling and preventing crime and don't have to be inside the station processing a person to charge them for seatbelt so just as we have the traffic offenses that are ticketable, we will ask that the seatbelt offense be a ticketable one as well."

Courtney Menzies:
"Will that stop the instances of extortion because then they will say, well, give me so much and I won't write this ticket?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well I think it won't stop it, it may minimize it because I think that a person would feel more at ease getting a ticket than being arrested. Being arrested is more coercive in nature and so people will more avoid being arrested than getting a ticket so we're hoping that this is going to alleviate the issue to some extent."

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