Local News

A conference for senior police officers of the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts was held yesterday in Punta Gorda.  Correspondent Paul Mahung reports.

PAUL MAHUNG

Toledo Correspondent

Love FM

“Discussions and planning not only focused on the issue of crime and crime prevention but also relevant areas as explained by Police Southern Regional Commander, Senior Superintendent Robert Mariano.

ROBERT MARIANO

Senior Superintendent

Southern Regional Commander

Belize Police Department

“We discussed the crime situation in the southern formation and how we can combat crime more and to reduce crime in the southern region.  We also discussed an action – which is intended to be conducted sometime in the month of September of this year.  We also discussed the zoning of the different areas in Dangriga Town, Placencia, Intermediate South Formation and Punta Gorda Town.  WE also discussed Case File Management within the different formations; I stressed with the different formations and encouraged them to work along with their subordinates and to ensure that case files are forwarded to the Prosecutor as quick as possible so that the cases can be dealt with by the Magistrate’s Court or the Supreme Court as quick as possible.  We also discussed the safety of the officers in the different formations.  It is known that different formations have vests but we are not seeing the officers using their vests so I am no calling on the Formation Commanders to ensure that the officers, whilst on patrol or investigations or whilst doing check point on the highways and so on, use their bullet proof vests.  But lo and behold, the conference is to bring the formations together and that we look at our downfall and see how we can serve the people of the southern districts as best as possible.”

PAUL MAHUNG

Toledo Correspondent

Love FM

“Senior Superintendent of Police Mariano said that plans are for such conferences to be held as much as possible every two weeks on a rotational venue basis with the next one to be in Placencia.  In addition to the presence of Officer in Command Independence Police Formation- Superintendent Alton Alvarez, Punta Gorda Officer in Command- Inspector  Ornell Dominguez and Officer in command Placencia- Inspector Mark Flowers, the eighteen law officers who participated in the conference included personnel from the B DF, Police Criminal Investigation Branch, Traffic and Community Policing from within the Southern Regional Police Formations in the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts.

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