The police are preparing for Tropical Storm Lisa’s arrival

The Belize Police Department is also gearing up for the arrival of Tropical Storm Lisa. Today, Police Commissioner Chester Williams met with his commanders to discuss emergency preparedness and response. The BPD will be working alongside the nation’s other security forces during the storm to conduct search and rescue operations. According to Williams, the police will also increase their patrolling efforts prior to the storm to ensure that citizens remain safe. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “As you would now police officers around this time our primary function is to do search and rescue and two to ensure that hurricane shelters are manned. We will wait to see when hurricane shelters are opened and people begin to move to these shelters and then we will then have police officers assigned to each shelter to preserve law and order at these shelters. In terms of search and rescue that will be done in conjunction with BDF and Coast Guard. As you know we don’t have equipment to do search and rescue so we depend heavily on them to be able to ferry us to different areas where we need to do so. Police officers were also advised to make sure that they get their own preparations in place, looking after their families because once the storm is near and we might go into twelve hour shift systems and the officers might not be able to go home until the storm is over. So ensuring that their family is secure before coming to work at the last opportune time is important for them to also make sure of so that is where are at this time. We have increased patrols up until the last hour before the storm hits the police officers are normally out doing vehicle patrols with a view to deter those persons who may use opportunity to commit burglaries to the homes of those who may go and seek shelter at the hurricane shelters so that is an important part of what we do and after the storm is over again police always make sure to come out very quickly to patrol the streets to see who may be wandering around and likewise looking for opportunities to go out and commit crimes.”