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Minister Discusses Transfers in Crime-Heavy Eastern Division
posted (April 5, 2017)

And while Aragon was there to talk about the San Pedro shooting, the media used the chance to ask him about those transfers in the senior ranks of the department.  As we’ve reported, the changes are focussed on the eastern division - which will go back to having a single commander for North side, Southside and Rural Belize.  That will be Assistant Commissioner of Police Deziree Phillips - and she will be backed up by sub commander for north side, Senior Superintendent Ralph Moody, sub commander for Southside Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal, and sub commander for Rural, Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson.  

Today we asked the Minister what motivated the changes:…

Hon. Elodio Aragon - Minister of State, Home Affairs
"We are looking at the senior rank like you have mentioned - these transfers because we want to look at what is the best fit for this city. There is a challenging situation here, you all know the situation and we want to put the best fix that we can at this point in time to see if we have the desired impact etc. I want the public to know we are putting the men and women here in Belize City who we believe may have the capacity, ability to make an impact here because remember Jules, this city is not an easy feat, I was here as the deputy and as the OCD here; once as the assistant commissioner. Challenging situation but I am confident that we have looked at in terms of the transfers is the best fit right now. This transfer is a normal course of business within the Belize Police Department."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir but then in 2015 we had one ED, Eastern Division and ACP Phillips was in charge. That modelled was abandoned in July of 2015, we went to precinct policing. It worked for a year, in the next year Southside was down, North side was up, everywhere else was up. I'm saying why are we then reverting to a model that was deemed as failed in 2015 - isn't that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different outcome."

Hon. Elodio Aragon
"But Jules who deemed that as insanity? Only you the deemed that man; what was there remember, this is about a better command and control. The precincts have, I think have been a very innovative thing for us in terms of looking at the different precincts etc.; people in charge of these precincts but it’s all about having - remember yes we have each commander for a precinct etc. but at the end of the day, no precinct can operate in isolation, there must be a coordinated effort by people looking at the bigger picture of things."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir but at the same time, you all want to bring Mr. Vidal so the Southside, he is known on the Southside as someone who led the GSU and who was they believe responsible for many acts of heinous brutality against residence of Southside and also he's someone who in an interview with me many years ago, repudiated community policing. He said we tried that and it didn't work. So now is the fact that you are bringing him to Southside it's repudiation of the community policing module and that we are going back to a model where - what Mr. Jefferies use to like to call, brute force and ignorance?"

Hon. Elodio Aragon
"Jules brute force in terms of policing never works right. There's a time for everything when you have to deal with certain people like etc. but when you look at where we have to go as a police department - listen Mr. Vidal is a police officer, senior police officer and he no have a special book for he whe he could do or break laws. He is governed under the police act; he's governed under the police disciplinary. He coming here to Southside is only one part of this entire set up in Belize City, we have several other precincts here, we have a lot more people, he's coming as a commander; somebody who will coordinate etc., he will not be on the ground out there kicking doors in etc. So he has to abide by law and order man and definitely he knows what this department stands for right, he understands where the ministry looks at this. We are trying to bring people with fresh ideas, with new energy to look at the situation here in Belize City."

Jules Vasquez
"But will the commitment to community policing remain or will it be a more militant or paramilitary style policing that Mr. Vidal is famous for?"

Hon. Elodio Aragon
"Jules you know me well, you know me well. Human rights is an important aspect of policing and we will uphold that hundred percent you know. Like I said Mr. Vidal is not above the law, he will come here to do a job and we expect him to carry on with that and in no way we are saying that we want to go on the brutal side of things - we have passed those decades ago. One of the things we are looking at is to have a task force for Belize City which is not about kicking down doors, it's about proper investigation team to deal with individuals that are creating havoc in our communities and when we look at the establishment of an anti-gang legislation. Then I'm confident that listen we can't do the same thing over and over because we are getting the same results, we have to put something there that will give us a little edge on things and that is what we are working on. I look at the team to come here in July to put their capacities, their ability to work here in Belize City. Ms. Phillips has always been community policing and she will be the head of here and under her watch and under our watch I'm confident that we won't stray from that you know. I can't account for persons who in their past but we are looking to the present and the future and of course this is not only about doing a mindless transfer, these are transfers that has been given a lot of thought on, it's about looking at our strategic plan that we are working to strengthen our internal department in terms of our police officers etc. Dealing with corrupt police officers, dealing with wrong doings, dealing properly with complaints from the public, we have to clean house first too."

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