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BCCI Position Paper
October 2010
Background
“In fact, 2010 is likely to have the distinction of the year with the highest number of murders the
country has ever seen. With three months to go, our database shows that there have already
been ninety‐nine murders recorded including this morning’s homicide; that’s twenty‐three more
than last year’s tally at the end of September. That figure has already surpassed the total
number of homicides for 2009 by two. What’s more disturbing is that the countrywide statistics
include at least thirteen minors between the ages of eight to seventeen who lost their lives in
the violent streak. . .”1
“ . . . .September Murders Nearly Double . . A Murder Every Three Days . .”2
Crime and violence has reached civil war proportions in our country, with an average of one
murder every three days to September 2010. Since the year 2000, the murder rate has more
than doubled. On average over the most recent five year span (’06 – Sept ’10), Belize lost
ninety‐seven (97) people every year to murder or eight people per month. In addition, there
appears to be an increasing tolerance for criminal activity and criminals within the wider
society. As well, the rule of law is at risk of collapse, since the unacceptably high and escalating
murder rates coupled with the unacceptably low conviction rate3 have conspired to result in
widespread disrespect for the rule of law, the devaluation of human life, and the perception
that some persons are above the law.
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry views this situation with extreme concern.
Security is a public good delivered through the state and only the state and its agents can
measurably impact the quality of life for Belizeans in this regard. While we understand the
current situation is the result of years of neglect at all levels of society, and that every citizen of
Belize must accept some measure of responsibility for the state of affairs, only the Government
of the day has the means and the mandate to institute recovery measures. This is a national
issue that requires urgent attention and a government led national response.
1
Channel Five News Belize, September 29th 2010
2
Amandala Newspaper, Tuesday Issue Headline, Wednesday, October 6, 2010
3
Average conviction rate for 1999 to 2007 is 1 conviction to 10 murders. When one adds the time lag of 12 months
between the reported 92 murders in 2006 and the 2 convictions in 2007 reveals a ratio of 1 conviction to every 46
murders reported. Excerpted from the Crooks Report, page 6.
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Operation Restore
Over the years many initiatives have been discussed and even developed to deal with the
scourge of crime and violence in Belize, with varying degrees of success. The most recent,
Operation Restore (OR) while the most comprehensive, strategic and innovative response to
date, is premised on the transformation of attitudes and so, calls for a paradigm shift in
approaches. Recognizing the potential for anarchy and the increasingly insecure posture of its
citizenry in Belize City, the program also promised to deliver “early results” to restore citizens’
security. This is primarily premised on a Community Safe Zone project and the implementation
of Police Department Reform, based on the recommendations of the Crooks Report.
For its part the BCCI in 2009 activated its Crime Sub‐Council which draws on the wisdom and
experiences of the collective to engage as a community to assist and support the interventions
of the state and to advocate for effective and pre‐emptive action as necessary. The BCCI has
not waivered in its support of state initiatives which promise results and which are efficient and
economic in implementation. It has however gone on record with a position which calls for
more effective use of funds allocated for national security.
Approached by the Government of Belize on the 19th of May 2010 to partner in the Operation
Restore initiative, and encouraged by the installation of a new Ministerial portfolio for Police,
the Chamber restructured the efforts of its Crime Sub Council to support the GOB’s initiatives.
It duly accepted the invitation and appointed three of its members to sit on the OR committees
to which it was invited and asked for and received an audience with the new Minister to discuss
its concerns and to understand the intent and strategies behind the new policy approach.
It is the view of the BCCI that five months later, Operation Restore has had no meaningful
results. The most recent quarter after its implementation; July‐September has been the most
violent in Belize’s history with a record forty‐seven (47) murders in these three months,
compared to twenty‐three (23) in the same period last year. This is an average of one murder
every two days during this period! In addition, burglary at one hundred four (104) was at its
highest level to date in September of 2010. In addition, our representatives tell us that there is
dubious commitment to the committee mandates and very little is achieved when the
committees manage to arrive at a quorum.
BCCI’s Position
The Chamber believes that the state must as a priority direct its attention to arresting this trend
and must take immediate mitigating measures to stabilize the most violent areas of Belize City
and prevent further descent to a state of total and complete anarchy.
The BCCI calls on the Government to:
• Immediately replace the current leadership within the Police Department with
international expertise with the capacity, the will and the objectivity to deliver the
changes envisaged by the Crooks Report. To realize its utility the Crooks report must be
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considered a call for structural transformation of the Police. A program of
transformation calls for strong, effective leadership, a clear direction and unrelenting
focus. These are qualities we do not believe are resident in the current leadership;
• With a change to effective leadership, the BCCI calls for the implementation of the
Crooks Report and the priority measures identified by Annex 1 to this position paper;
and
• Immediate policing initiatives that target quality of life crimes which undermine the
general sense of well being and public safety.
• Increase the allocation of funds to the Ministry of Police and Public Security.
The BCCI takes this opportunity to remind the GOB that the activities called for here are
promised as first steps under the Operation Restore programme and clearly established as
priority areas for the national response. In addition, the programme clearly recognizes and
accepts some deficiency in the police department and provides for the importation of
“international expertise and manpower to fill gaps in the Police Department”4. The BCCI is
asking nothing more than the delivery of what was promised.
We submit to the Government of Belize that it has a responsibility to ensure that it gets the
best talent it can afford to restore law and order and that there is no indignity in asking for
external assistance. There are multiple examples across the Commonwealth Caribbean, with
national security issues similar to Belize’s experiences, which make the point. Jamaica has
three British Assistant Commissioners, Antigua and Barbuda has hired a Canadian team to head
its Police and The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago as recently as September
21st of this year appointed Canadians Dwayne Gibbs and Jack Ewatski, Police Commissioner and
Deputy Police Commissioner respectively. The point here is that Governments of the Caribbean
have recognized that there is good reason to import foreign managers of the Police when
current capacity is overwhelmed by well armed gangs, drug traffickers and systemic corruption.
The BCCI respectfully submits to the Government of Belize that the situation is such that the
Government must act, and act decisively. In order for the healing process to begin the first
order of business must be to restore a sense of law and order. When citizens believe they are
safe on the streets, at public events, and in their homes and businesses, then and only then can
we contemplate the long and arduous journey associated with addressing the social dynamics
which lie at the source of our plunge into unprecedented levels of crime and violence.
The BCCI stands ready to discuss these proposals at any time with the Government of Belize.
4
Pg 3, Restore Belize Programme document
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