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Chester Is Amandala’s MOFTY
posted (December 30, 2015)

And those kinds of numbers, which truly are remarkable – is what led to Chester Williams receiving the honour of Amandala's man of the year for 2015. It's very unusual for such an honour to go to a police officer – who typically embodies the values of the status quo. But Williams completely changed business as usual for police on the Southside – and has the results to show for it. Today he told us he is humbled by the honour:

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division Southside

"I was thrilled this morning when I read the article and I must say that I am humbled by the recognition but I must say that I cannot carry the recognition alone because after all, I work with a team. I could have not been recognised without my team by my side. The media houses, Channel 5, Channel 7, Love FM, Krem again they have always tried their utmost best to; despite the fact that sensationalism sells more than good news, I can see where the media houses have been doing their best to try and sell the positive image of the police as well. That has helped us to market ourselves more in a more positive way to the public and the public has become more receptive to the work that the police on Southside Belize City have been doing. I must say that the recognition that I got from Amandala is as a result of those factors."

But probably the biggest factor is not the cooperation he got from his team, or from the media, it's the stamp of approval he's gotten from the community. The service orientation, accountability, and rejection of brutal tactics – all combined to win the community's consent for his brand of policing. Today, Williams discussed his policing cornerstones:…

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division Southside

"The first thing that we did was to try to have a different approach to how we deal with these young persons who are caught up in the criminal justice system. It is our belief that when we treat them like animals or criminals, then they behave in such a way. We try to show them a more human aspect of policing. We try to police from a community policing standpoint, we police with compassion. We always try to put ourselves in the shoe of those person perpetrating the crime and think if we were in their shoe how would we like to be treated. I always say to my officers before you do anybody anything, always ask yourself the question if it was you, would you want it to be done to you. If the answer to that question is no then do not do it to somebody else."

"We can no longer police in a vacuum where the police believes that, oh full scale policing will solve the societal ills. It will not solve the societal ills, it will make it even worse. We have to police with the community in mind and let the community be the ones to tell us more or less what it is we can do for them to make them feel safer."

Jules Vasquez

"Isn't there also change needed in the actual philosophy of the police department when we look at the inordinate investments that have been made in paramilitary style policing? The GSU have more vehicle than the whole of the Southside and that is no blame on superintendent Flowers but it's just a reality that once you are a paramilitary unit in the police; because of the focus in the past you get all the resources you want because we need to bang some heads. You have changed that in the Southside and it has been effective, the numbers show it out but are you able to infect that idea of change, infect the leadership with that?"

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division Southside

"Yes if you would have heard our very own minister Mr. Saldivar in interviews he had done. I listened to him when he did one when we did the tour of Eastern Division and even when he went to San Pedro he categorically stated that community policing is the way to go."

"We are now seeing that community policing is in fact working, it can work and we have seen likewise where the government has started to invest in given us more equipment. Yes we know the government is financially strapped and we cannot get all we want overnight. So as a result of that we try to work with what we have until we could get what we need."

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