Police Instructed to Use Discretion Under SOE

With the current State of Emergency now in effect across several areas of Belize City and parts of the Belize District, police say officers on the ground are being instructed to exercise discretion while carrying out enforcement operations.  The limited SOE officially came into effect on Friday, May 8, and will remain in place for thirty days. The measure was introduced following heightened concerns over gang-related violence and possible retaliatory shootings.  Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones explained that while officers have been granted expanded powers under the emergency regulations, police are expected to carefully assess situations and act professionally when interacting with members of the public.  Jones noted that the Gang Intelligence Intervention and Enforcement Unit, better known as GI3, is leading much of the enforcement effort under the SOE.

Police say the SOE allows authorities to detain individuals suspected of involvement in criminal gang activity and to conduct operations in designated zones without some of the normal procedural limitations. Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Richard Rosado stressed that the current State of Emergency is being treated as what he described as a “limited exercise,” targeting specific individuals believed to be linked to ongoing criminal activity.

Dr. Rosado said police are intentionally avoiding widespread dragnet-style operations and are instead relying on intelligence-driven policing to identify priority targets.

The Commissioner added that the department’s objective is to reduce the immediate threat of violent crime while minimizing disruptions to law-abiding residents living within the affected communities. Police reiterate that the operation will remain under constant review throughout the thirty-day period./