We also got the three Assistant Commissioners to talk about the alarming murder statistics. There have already been 130 murders up to Mid November 2016, which is already 11 more than last year's total, and 7 more than 2014's total. But, as the senior officer's explain, Belize City is not driving the murder totals higher:..
ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Well I will tell you that it is up in deed, but in the past Belize District use to be that have the murder count so high. But I will tell you that from all the different regions the Belize region is the only region that has the murder count below where it was last year."
ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"While in Belize City, the murders are mixed between gangs and sometime alcohol and other disputes. In the Cayo District it's mostly alcohol and domestic."
ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Out district like you right said just a while ago, they are strapped with vehicular resources and we are very optimistic that some the first of December this year, we should be seeing a new fleet of vehicles coming through the CARSI program from the US Embassy and that should alleviate some of our vehicular problems."
ACP Dezerie Phillips, OC, Eastern Division North
"It is a study that we are doing with respect to tracking of the vehicles where it is monitored closely and a system set up where an alarm is received when the vehicles leave the area of responsibility. We have seen that proven good results for us, because it has also shown where we have seen a decrease in the consumption of fuel, because officers keep within their area of patrol."
Murders have been trending up countrywide since 2013, when 99 were recorded. Unless the trend breaks - and we all hope it does - this year is on track to come close to the record of 145 murders in 2012.
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