The Crime Control council met today and designated five areas in Belize City as Crime Ridden.
The specific boundaries have not been announced - but we can confirm that they are all within the Lake Independence area.
The zones each span about two blocks and reportedly extend from the Linda Vista area to the area known as Gungulung to the area closer to Central American Boulevard.
We stress that not all the streets within this wide space will be declared crime ridden - just 5 different areas of one or two blocks each.
And what does it mean to be a "crime ridden" area? Well, it gives the police special powers - as explained by the police minister when the plan was unveiled last week:
Hon. John Saldivar - Minister of National Security
"... as crime ridden areas which will give his police and BDF the power to search any and all houses in the area without the need for a warrant.This declaration will also allow the police and the BDF to restrict movement in and out of these areas. These areas will be cordon off and every person entering and exiting the area will be stopped and searched and a systematic house by house search of these areas will be done with immediate effect."
The five areas within Lake I that are being declared crime ridden have seen an alarming number of shootings and homicides since April of this year.
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