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And yesterday, it was time for the same in the Jane Usher Boulevard area - another gang hostpot with at least three dueling groups. We stopped by and spoke with Williams about the purpose of the event and the reception by the community:

Sr. Supt Chester Williams, OC - E.D. Southside
"it's a continuity of the Police Peace Rally that we're holding across South Side Belize City, where we're going to different hot spots and hold family day with the young men who have been classified as criminals or those who are vulnerable to crime incidents and so forth - with an effort to try and see how best you can promote peace within them. What we want to achieve is to show these young men is that there are other avenues rather than holding a gun and shooting at someone as the case may be. So we try to bring people together through the use of sports, sporting events."

Daniel Ortiz
"Talk to us about the persons who are out here. Are there any rival crews represented or person who you are sure are in that world?"

Sr. Supt Chester Williams, OC - E.D. Southside
"Yes, we have rival groups out here. We have rival. We have people from Jane Usher, Freedom St. the Boulevard area. And as you would know that those are persons who in fact have rivals against each other. So they are out here now. There are playing sports. They are coming into contact with each other and we are hoping that this is a beginning of something new for them that after today they can put down the guns and see if they can continue living a peaceful life amongst themselves."

Dianne Finnegan, Coordinator
"I've spoken to so many of the young men who we've met with and their request is simple. The thing is that what they don't like is the hit and run visits that we do. so we come in for a moment and then we're gone and I think through the initiative of what Mr. Chester Williams is trying to do is to really shop around all the different areas, all the different turfs and then say come to the drawing table. We had such a great meeting on Friday evening in the Mayflower community to discuss what are some of the ways now that we could start to work. We did the initial stage of the meeting, greeting and talking. Now it's time for action."

Sr. Supt Chester Williams, OC - E.D. Southside
"I think how it turned out Jules, have a lot to do with how serious people do take you and I think that what I bring to the table in Belize City, South Side Belize City is something that young people have embrace. They applaud the type of policing I bring to the area."

In the interest of that maintaining the community policing effort, the Eastern Division South's commander has been working on different programs with other members of the community in the gang affiliated areas. The ongoing initiatives start with Mayflower, who as you heard in the interview, was the focus of another meeting on last week Friday evening.