Prime Minister Meets with Civil Society in Response to Crime

Prime Minister Meets with Civil Society in Response to Crime

Belize City – 27th April, 2012

The Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. Dean Barrow, today convened a meeting with civil society to apprise them of the government’s response to the recent increase in gang-related crime and the heightened tensions in Belize City.

In the meeting, the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Security, the Director of RESTORE Belize, and CEO in the Office of the Prime Minister presented the latest update on the current police operations to ensure citizen security and the way forward for maintaining peace. The Government then requested the cooperation and support from civil society to promote peace and to address the underlying social conditions which make our Belizean communities vulnerable to crime.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Francis Fonseca, and other representatives of the Opposition participated in the meeting as well as representatives from the religious community, the business community, the Crime Control Council, and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. All expressed concern for the current levels of insecurity and all agreed that we need to unite as one nation to tackle crime and to resolve the social conditions which make communities vulnerable. The Government of Belize was also represented by the Ministers of the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation, and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Anthony Martinez and Minister of State with responsibility for the Gang Truce and CYDP the Hon. Mark King, CEO in the Ministry of National Security, and the Police Department.

It was agreed that the Prime Minister would convene a meeting with this group of civil society representatives at least once per quarter. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the Leader of Opposition for their solidarity and to all civil society representatives for their cooperation. The Prime Minister of Belize assures the general public that it will continue to invest all necessary resources to keep Belizean citizens safe and to work with all partners in the united effort to restore law and order and maintain peace.

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