And while police responded promptly to that incident - there still has not been a coherent official explanation of what happened on Saturday night at BTL Park.
As we reported, a concert featuring local artists erupted into public terror after a gang brawl broke out and three salvos of shots were fired.
Hundreds of terrified concert goers made a desperate dash for safety - only to find nearby venues locking up their doors and gates to keep out the stampede.
In the end, four persons were stabbed and one shot - all of them believed to be gang affiliated. Later on that night one man was killed, and another injured.
It was a major gang clash in a public space and one that left public confidence in their personal security at public venues badly shaken, but there's been nothing from officialdom.
Today we caught police minister John Saldivar at a BDF event and he mouthed the sort of platitudes we've heard from many an exasperated minister of national security before:
Hon. John Saldivar - Minister of National Security
"We get it under control for a few weeks, and then one weekend or so, people just go ballistic, and we have a lot of murders or so. And we have got to find a way to deal with it. I think that the crime ridden areas strategy has worked in terms of reducing major in crimes in these areas, and specifically in Belize City. But, it doesn't seem to have an effect on the murder situation. And there's another approach that we must try to deal with the Murder."
Monica Bodden
"For those Belizes who are questioning their safety, will the police 'beef up'?"
Hon. John Saldivar
"We've already done additional 'beefing up'. All police officers who are available, who are on leave, they are all coming back in to serve, to walk on the streets, and so, we have quite a high presence of police officers at this time. We feel that it is working. Of course, now and again murders still bedevil us, and we're sad that we're not able to do anything at this time to bring it. But, we continue to try all alternatives."
Email
Print