Police to be out in full force on Carnival Day

The Belize Police Department will also be out in full force on carnival day to maintain law and order. The cops will be working along with the city council to ensure the route remains free of any outside traffic. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told the media that the police will also be cracking down on stubborn residents who do not comply with the council’s measures.  

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “The police have a job to do and we try as best as we can to discharge our duties without any complaint and work around whatever obstacles that may arise and so the September Celebrations Committee which is chaired by the Honorable Minister of Education have decided on a route for the carnival and the police are going to follow that route. We hav done our ground work in terms of running the route and to see what challenge or challenges we may have on Carnival day to be able to ensure that the carnival moves from it’s starting point to where it is going to come to an end without any hinderance. And so we believe that we will be able to police the event without any incident. Police officers will be along the route. We’re not going to depend on city traffic. Yes they are there to assist, we do welcome the assistance but we do have the manpower to ensure that we cover the entire route of the carnival as well as to have police officers who are going to accompany the carnival to make sure that no incident occurs during the carnival itself.”

Reporter: Will you guys be out there removing vendors if they decide to sell along the way ?

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Certainly. The vendors cannot sell on the street. If they are on the, not the sidewalk but if they’re parked on the edge of the street without hindering the sidewalk they can stay there but no vending will be allowed on the sidewalk or on the streets. The day before the Carnival the police will run the route with our tow truck and any vehicle seen parked along the route or on the road the owners will be asked to move it. If they don’t move it or if we cannot find an owner then we will tow it away.”

Williams says additional boots will be placed on the ground.