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And to follow up on that, the Community Police Unit collaborated with Eastern Division South to put together a positive social gathering, to try to gain the trust of at risk youths living in the Mayflower area. To their surprise, they got overwhelming support. Our news team was there at the Berger Field on Vernon Street, and Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
The officers of Eastern Division South kept the formula of the social event simple: football, music, food, and drinks.

They were following up on a promise to hold this event, and they managed to bring out several hundred youths living from warring turfs carved out by the city gangs living around the Berger Field area.

Douglas Hyde - Public Relations Coordinator, Police Department
"We have almost 400 people out here today as you can see. I have made a count myself - its 300 plus and before the afternoon finishes we are almost 400 people and this means a lot."

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - Commander Eastern Division South
"We have the Banak crowd, we have Bailar - we have Banak, Bailar, Mayflower and Ebony Street. Four different areas within the Mayflower and these were people who were divided the other day. But here we can see that they have come together - they are united together and they are out there on the field playing together, having fun together - this is what we want to see."

Douglas Hyde
"Seeing the different groups out here says a lot. Because if these guys didn't want to be out here, they wouldn't be out here. So that sends a clear message."

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams
"You see the police officers, we are their servant today. We are preparing the food. We are serving them and they just need to have fun."

Diane Finnegan - Advocate For At Risk Youths
"It's about community spirit. I think once you can build this, you can accomplish anything. One of my things that I truly believe in is that once you give the community the tool to understand their own purpose - to claim ownership of where they belong - it's easier to get through to them. Because negativity exists across the board."

This event is part of the new commander's approach of trying to reach out to city youths who are deeply entrenched - and almost trapped - in gang life. It's a new take on the old strategy of community policing.

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams
"This event is a follow up to the mediation session that myself and Ms. Diane Finnegan and Ms. Ann Palacio, along with Mr. Douglas Hyde had with the group from the Mayflower area as you would recall that in the past couple of weeks there was a tension brewing in the Mayflower area. When we had that mediation, I had promise that I would be doing a social event as a follow up to ensure that we do enough to try and bring them together, because I do not believe that one mediation will solve the problem within the area. So, we need to do other things to ensure that peace within the area continues. So since that mediation, I have been going into the area, speaking to the people, let them know that the police are here and the lives of each and every one of them who lives in that area do matter. Even though there may be some who may want to think that 'oh, we must leave them to kill out each other.' My brother, I will say since 1995, the gangs have been out there killing out each other. Have they eradicated themselves? No, they continue to grow."

"So, if we sit back and think that we must leave them to kill out themselves and that will take the problem away, it will never happen. What we need to do is to ensure that we do things to let these young people know 'you know what, their life do matter, your life is worth something and you are a part of the community and we should the good part of you.' Today is a living example to see that these young people from the Mayflower area are humans. Look at how they are on the football field interacting playing football game? It shows that they are just like us."

Williams tempers reality with expectation and aspirations. He accepts that he cannot save every at risk youth in the community, but every single one who benefits from the outreach is a measurable success.

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams
"These are young people and I believe that some of them can change. I do not expect that all of them will change. But those who are willing to make a change, I want to afford them that opportunity to make that change and I am going to work with them to see that they make that change."

Their efforts have resulted in a temporary cease-fire within the Mayflower area, and the personalities believed to behind that internal rivalry area trying to put aside differences.

It was a very rare opportunity, but these men were even in the mood yesterday to speak to the media, who they usually try to avoid:

Daniel Ortiz
"Is this something that you all would want to see more things like this happened?"

Roger Anthony - Lead Personality, Ghost Town
"Yes, I would want to see more of this happen, so that we can stay together and stay close."

Daniel Ortiz
"We know that the police and you gentlemen have usually had conflict with amongst each other and that there is that usual distrust. Talk to us about overcoming those challenges?"

Ellis Meighan - Lead Personality, Ghost Town
"Well we take this like a blessing from God to say put all this aside and I am glad to say that my and my friends are back together and no more bloodshed in the neighborhood. Thanks to Mr. Chester Williams for all the help that he did for us. So far everything is going alright and we want it to continue like this. At least we see that this is the first officer who came to a conclusion and say let us come together and put this to a peace. So we thank God for that."

Daniel Ortiz
"Now gentlemen, it is hard not to approach you on what is the usual feeling and you gentlemen are feared in the eyes of the people in Belize City, because they feel like you gentlemen are ruthless. How do you show to them that you just like everyone else who live in these communities are human beings and that you want to be respected and treated by the law and by the society?"

Roger Anthony
"Well as far as I know we are trying to be respectful from Mr. Cisco when it started from me, Arthur, Pinky - all of us - we start with peace and now it end up with me and my own people. But we are working it out, because we still are not trying to kill each other."

Ellis Meighan
"Well in any family, you have ups and downs and anything could solve and come to a conclusion. So, I say that God sets it this way."

Daniel Ortiz
"Will it be a lasting peace and cease fire between the gentlemen who lives in the Mayflower area?"

Ellis Meighan
"Society has seen it. Everybody who are out here, everyone who lives in Belize - we have one TV to watch in our house. We will not see any more violence between our crowds. Its finish."

Roger Anthony
"Well, there never will be any violence between me and Mr. Ellis Meighan and so…"

Diane Finnegan
"For me, the smiles on the faces of the community - Ellis, Roger, their families - Mrs. Meighan there. Everybody is just rubbing shoulders getting this done and saying 'you know what, it is about you. It is about the residence and the community of Mayflower Street.'"

Douglas Hyde
"The police officers, bottom-line we are law enforcement. So we are not condone any crime and are not condoning gang membership or anything to that extent. every person have that basic right as everybody else when we have human beings as normal and so what we are giving is that hand of opportunity to say to these different groups and community to hear what, we want to work with you. As the police department, we want to work with you. So we are giving that olive leaf, if we can say. Because as Mr. Williams keep on saying, the easiest thing for the police department to do is to come with that harsh, oppressive and suppressive approach of the police to say we are going to come with this roughness and toughness. He is saying we want to give this olive leaf first, work with the groups, work with the communities. Because the next 5 months is very crucial for us in Belize City and so we have to send that message to every community, that we are very serious about keeping the whole murder and shooting to a level of decrease."

Williams has plans for other events like this in other parts of the city where rival gangs live in close proximity.

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams
"Myself, Ms. Finnegan and Mr. Douglas Hyde had discuss one in the Jane Usher Boulevard area hopefully 2 weeks from now. What we have on Mayflower currently, we have the Freedom Street crowd, we have the Jane Usher crowd, we have Gill Street and we have the southside gangsters - 4 different gangs in that area and there is tension brewing with them right now. So within 2 weeks' time, I want to do one like this in that area. But before the 2 weeks I'll be going to that area this week and see how best I can communicate with these young people and see how we could have them put down the guns and try to do more positive things for their community."

Williams says that he appreciates that one time interventions will not fix the problem with crime, and so, the police will be consistently trying to work with these communities.