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Community Policing 1, 2, 3
Wed, August 26, 2015

Once upon a time not too long ago, it seemed like every evening newscast would be filled with reports of police brutality. But nowadays you can substitute the buzzword "community policing" for "police brutality" – because that's what's on the news, like, every night. Now don't get us wrong; this isn't to say that police brutality has come to an end – we're very sure it hasn't. But the police department is trying to change the public narrative about policing – apparently by inundating the news with community policing initiatives.

For the past two months, we've been showing you the sustained community policing efforts that the Belize City cops have been rolling out in the different neighbourhoods that have been trapped in the cycle of gang violence.

Well, Eastern Division South Commander Chester Williams and other police officers were out in the area of Supal Street and Kraal Road today. This is the turf of two powerful gangs, but for the past few weeks, it has been incident free. Williams told us today that the police will not be lulled into a false sense of security:

Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South

"It's a continuity of our police community relationship and effort that we are trying to bridge that gap between the police and the community. So we continue our weekly meet and great. This is a weekly event that we normally do on Wednesdays or Thursdays; that myself and the other senior managers of south side Belize City go in the different neighbourhoods of south side Belize City. Interacting with people and try to see how best we can get their concerns and put measures in place to address those concerns in order for them to feel much safer in their communities."

"They are satisfied, they are saying that they have been very happy over the past couple of weeks that they are seeing the crime situation going down on south side Belize City and they applaud the effort that myself and my management team are putting in to see how best we could bring some symbol of peace on south side Belize City. So the feedback all and all from the members of this community has been very good. They spoke to the fact that they like seeing the police presence in the area; the police pass every so often. Stop, talk to them and do what they have to do; and stop even searching people. But they are saying that now, the way the police come it is with a more respectable manner than how they use to come before with this brutal mentality."

ASP Marcia Moody - OC, Police Precinct 2

"Today we're out doing meet and great with the people in the area of Supal and Kraal Road and I must say they are very receptive. They are here giving out positive comments and one of the concern that I hear mostly from them is respect from the police to the community and respect from the community to the police. And they are saying that, they are getting it and we are dialoguing trying to see how we can communicate on a one to one basis to see how we can curve crime within this area."

Daniel Ortiz

"Now Kraal Road sir, we know that is a base of one of the city's gangs. Is that area a particular area of interest for the south side commanders working in this area?"

Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South

"Yes it is an area of interest. I must say that for the past couple of months, Kraal Road has been somewhat dormant in terms of criminal activities but; it doesn't mean that because there is not so much going on in the area that we must just neglect it totally. We still come in and see how things are in the area and we talk to people, see what their concerns are and try to see how best we can assist them to police the area and let them feel much safer in this area."

The Eastern Division South has an event planned for the Kraal Road/Supal Street community this weekend.

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