Foundation for Belize Donates Body Cameras and QR Patrol System to San Pedro Police

The Foundation for Belize has donated more than a dozen body-worn cameras to the San Pedro Police Formation as part of an initiative to strengthen transparency, accountability, and public safety on Ambergris Caye. The handover took place on Monday, July 7th, during a formal ceremony in San Pedro Town. The donation was presented by the Foundation for Belize founder, Joseph Cooper, to Officer in Charge Inspector Jorge Lemus and Sergeant Gabriel Martinez, who accepted the cameras on behalf of the patrol officers who will use the equipment.
In addition to body cameras, the Foundation will introduce a QR code-based patrol management system to document police visits to businesses throughout San Pedro digitally. QR code stickers will be placed at participating establishments, allowing officers to scan the codes during patrols. Each scan will record the visit and generate digital patrol reports, providing greater accountability and helping supervisors monitor patrol coverage.
Cooper explained that each body camera can record continuously for up to 24 hours and store approximately 128 gigabytes of high-definition video, allowing officers to document patrols, traffic stops, public interactions, and crowd-control operations.
Inspector Lemus said the cameras will provide an objective record of police interactions, helping protect both officers and members of the public. He noted that the footage can assist in resolving complaints, disproving false allegations, discouraging misconduct, and documenting police procedures during critical incidents.
The donation follows several months of collaboration between the Foundation for Belize and the San Pedro Police Formation. Lemus said the department has developed strict procedures governing the use, storage, and handling of recorded footage to ensure its integrity as potential evidence.
Under the new system, officers will sign out assigned cameras at the start of each shift and return them afterward for charging and secure data transfer. Footage will be archived using the department’s centralized storage system, while data retention policies continue to be developed to balance evidentiary requirements with available storage capacity. “Body cameras will give the full story,” Cooper said during the handover, describing the initiative as a measure that promotes both community safety and police accountability.
Sergeant Martinez added that recorded patrols will provide greater transparency by documenting routine police work while assisting investigators whenever complaints or incidents arise.
Lemus also confirmed that additional surveillance cameras will be installed throughout San Pedro in the coming months, noting that the department’s bucket truck has already received clearance to return to the island to facilitate the installations.
Police officials and Foundation representatives believe the combination of body cameras, the QR code patrol system, and the planned expansion of the island’s surveillance camera network will strengthen patrol monitoring, improve evidence collection, and enhance public confidence in law enforcement. The QR code system is expected to be rolled out to businesses in the coming months.