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Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal is back in Belize City - for the first time since 2014 when he handed over the command of the GSU, which he founded.  Vidal assumed command of the Southside Eastern Division over the weekend - and, today, he held his first meet and greet session.  We found a renewed officer, embracing community policing which he had once repudiated:…

Sr. Supt. Marco Vidal- Southside Commander
“The community policing is a department philosophy and therefore those will continue. The whole purpose of community policing is to foster the relationship with the community and to understand the problem and to look at ways to resolve them. So the information we’re getting is that in some areas there are police visibility and in some areas there are not, so we need to look at those areas they are not in place and then improve on those because it has allowed a better interaction between the police and the community. Of course we will be looking at the continuation of the community policing programs but in tandem with that we’ll also have intelengence led polcing because community policing does not mean that the criminals are allowed to do as they please. So the law has to apply. So where the law has to apply then it will be applied.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Now, sir, you’ve spoken about all the community policing initiatives and I have to ask you this straight up, in your former incarnation as the head of the GSU, I asked you and we’ve publicized this, about how you feel about community policing, you said we’ve tried this and it failed but here you are again doing community policing. Are you doing something you yourself have said is a failure?â€￾

Sr. Supt. Marco Vidal- Southside Commander
“First of all, that interview was done in 2011, from 2011 until now, you must admit that there has been much advancement in terms of community policing. For example, the GREAT program was introduced in 2011. By the end of 2011 it began to launch out. Following that, up to present there are over 200 officers who are trained in community policing by the US government; so this has allowed a broader view and understanding by the police rank and file. So it has also come with a number of initiatives.â€￾

Reporter
“Where do you stand sir, in so far as, maintaining the fragility of the existing gang truce?â€￾

Sr. Supt. Marco Vidal- Southside Commander
“Well, first of all, we need to understand that this truce is between the gangs. It is not between the state and the gangs. Therefore the state has a responsibility in as much as the police has the social responsibility. We also have the mandate of implementing our laws; so that, we will do both. If they are having peace among themselves, then that is between themselves; so if the police sees crime occurring then the police has to respond to that, we cannot allow it to fester; otherwise, it will become a bigger problem for us.â€￾

Reporter
“Sir, will you be engaged in the discussions or further discussions to maintain this peace, or this truce?â€￾

Sr. Supt. Marco Vidal- Southside Commander
“Well, as you know, Mr. Williams has said to all of you that he will continue with the intervention and mediation programs. But you also must understand that the CYDP also does intervention and mediation. Those programs will continue, so I don’t see that ending.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But it won’t have your direct involvement?â€￾

Sr. Supt. Marco Vidal- Southside Commander
“It won’tâ€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Now sir, in a sense, and perhaps unfairly, your reputation as the inventor of the GSU has preceded you and, I don’t mean to be unkind, but they say meet and greet will become meet and beat. That because of Mr. Vidal’s history, where like GSU like rough up man, they gonna start to rough up lot a man, preventative detention, lockup lot a man, that sort of thing. How do you respond to that criticism?â€￾

Sr. Supt. Marco Vidal- Southside Commander
“Well, far more has been said and I believe that we have to…I think it is best for us to talk about today and tomorrow than to talk about the past.â€￾

Supt. Daniel Arzu- Deputy Southside Commander
“Your question just now Jules, you are present and you have seen meet and greet isn’t that what you saw just now?â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Indeed.â€￾

Supt. Daniel Arzu- Deputy Southside Commander
“Alright, thank you.â€￾

Vial was doing his meet and greet in the South Creek and Supal Street area - and tomorrow we’ll tell you how that session went and how it differed from his predecessor.