The leaders of the Police Association Police corporal and Acting President Eldon Arzu and Detective Sergeant and Vice President Edlin Lorenzo have been placed on interdiction. That's the very reliable report reaching our newsroom this evening.
The two officers went out on a limb to publicly disparage their senior command for rushed transfers - and after attempts at dialogue stalled, the command didn't break off the limb, it cut down the whole tree!
Reports are that the association has been dismantled - and now its leaders have been administratively zapped - with the commissioner's decision to place them on interdiction.
Today, Lorenzo told us they are seeking legal advice. But, the advice they've gotten so far doesn't seem to have served them too well - since they ended up publicly challenging the senior command and the ministry.
And while they appear to have been cut off from the Department - they haven't been isolated completely.
Today, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize sided publicly with the Police Association saying that they stand ready to support them in their actions.
Now the Police Association is not and cannot be a Union - that's the law, but, nonetheless, the NTUCB, the umbrella agency for all unions is calling on the Commissioner and the Minister of Police to fix this situation with much haste.
The NTUCB said quote, "Threatening the members of the Police Association and seeking to dismantle the Association is clearly the current response of the Ministry of Police. From the NTUCB's perspective, this cannot and will not be accepted nor tolerated." End Quote.
Their statement ends by saying that the law relating to the Police Association needs to be amended to afford these workers the right to defend and protect their rights.
Police Press Officer, Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, said that the police department will not comment on the issue because they will respect the media protocol.
We even attempted to contact the Commissioner of Police, David Henderson, and we did get to speak to him briefly via phone.
When we asked him about the Police Association, and before he could ask if they were on disciplinary charges, he hung up the phone.
So at this time, only the Ministry of National Security has given a response on the Police Association matter. It was broadcasted via an advertisement, but a short excerpt from it said quote, "Those persons representing the Police Association, who have been making statements via the public airwaves, have been amply warned that such actions are unlawful and unconstitutional. They have insisted in doing so, leaving the Department and Ministry with no choice but to take the stipulated disciplinary action against them." End quote.
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