San Pedro police receive new engine for their boat

The San Pedro Police Formation has a renovated boat with a brand-new engine. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve spearheaded this upgrade in collaboration with other stakeholders in the community. The refurbished boat will aid the island police formation in maintaining order and responding to humanitarian needs and other emergencies.
An official handover ceremony was held on Friday, May 12th, at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve dock at the end of Caribeña Street, next to the Embarcadero area. The event saw the attendance of special guests, members of the San Pedro Police Formation along with the commander of the police station Assistant Superintendent Basil Reyes, Mayor Gualberto’ Wally’ Nuñez, Area Representative Honourable Andre Perez, Hol Chan management and staff, and representatives of the Belize Fisheries Department as well.
Master of ceremonies Vicky Coc opened the formalities shortly after 11AM. After singing the national anthem and prayer, Hol Chan’s Executive Director, Ian Pou, gave his welcome remarks. “We trust that this donation will assist the police department with rapid responses to illegal activities, and the relationship with our organization remains stronger than ever,” said Pou. The head at Hol Chan also acknowledged the support provided by Area Representative Perez.
Perez stated that the donation is part of a goal to keep the waters around San Pedro and Caye Caulker safer. “This is a collaborative effort,” he said. “We cannot just leave everything to the police department, the coast guard, fisheries department of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve; it’s everybody’s business to keep our areas safe.” Perez noted that San Pedro and Caye Caulker are the country’s leading tourist attractions, significantly contributing to the national economy. The Area Representative added that completing the boat’s refurbishment and acquiring a brand-new engine is just one of the many projects that can be achieved when people work together.
On behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Superintendent Basil Reyes gave thanks for the assistance. He explained that besides using the boat for law and order, it would also assist humanitarian needs. Some of these include helping with transporting bodies to Belize City. According to him, this has been an issue in the past whereby relatives face difficulties in transporting the body of their loved ones to the mainland. He committed to continue working together with Hol Chan. Reyes was also informed that Perez’s office and Hol Chan would assist with the boat’s maintenance.
The formalities ended with Mayor Nuñez delivering the vote of thanks and a toast celebrating the achievement of this new equipment for the San Pedro Police Formation.
In closing, the following persons and entities were acknowledged for contributing towards the project: Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Forrest Brooks Sala, Rotary Club #4250 with the responsibility of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras through local president Tom Nelson, management, and staff of Captain Shark’s boatyard, all done in coordination with the commanding officer of the San Pedro Police Station.