Big Cover-Up in the Police Department

Last week, the nation listened incredulously as the lame duck Commissioner of Police Crispin Jefferies, on Wednesday at a press briefing, and the clueless Minister of National Security Honorable Carlos Perdomo, on Thursday in an interview with Love Television, assured the public that major crimes (those are crimes committed against the person) were down throughout the country.

It came as a complete shock to those of us who know that the Jewel has never been more dangerous.  And we would have enjoyed a hearty laugh at the absurdity of it all if so much blood had not already been spilled and we were not so shaken by the upsurge in violent crime because we are fully aware that the Police have lost ground to the criminals who have become more fearless.

Yet Perdomo and Jefferies were steadfast in their position that at the present time there is only a misperception that crime is spiraling out of control and that may be attributed to the increase of media outlets in recent years.  It has become standard practice for both to use the media as a convenient scapegoat when there are spikes in violent crime.  And if we were to believe them it is only our fear factor that is going up.

It is only that we are more aware of what is taking place, and not necessarily in our immediate surroundings, as we see the aftermath of crime on our television screens on a nightly basis and that makes us afraid and cower in our homes.  This is a clear example of the denial of reality by Perdomo and Jefferies.  Perhaps they felt that things could not fall more apart than it did in the last days of September.

But it did not take long for both to be proven wrong and the evidence to show that violent crime, particularly murders, is not only confined to the neighborhoods of Southside Belize City but that it is expanding to other parts of the country, closing in on the most peaceful of communities and turning our upstanding citizens, including women, into victims as was the case in Caye Caulker.

Indeed, Southside Belize City remains the murder capital of the country but in the past week murder became more personal for residents of the other districts.  There were four murders (one in Belize City, one in Caye Caulker, one in Corozal Town, and one in Orange Walk Town) and another Belize City man is clinging on to life at the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital since Perdomo and Jefferies spoke to us.

Were they to stand by their statistics, it would appear that the Police are not above bending to the constant pressure from politicians who want to put a good face on crime and as a consequence officers are intentionally altering or suppressing crime reports in a concerted effort to avoid adverse publicity.  It is simply political expediency.

But it comes as no surprise.  After all, we would not want to alarm the visitors to our shores or make them think that they will be robbed or shot when they walk our streets.  Not when those all important tourist dollars are drying up.  From now on, we will have to view the Police statistics with a certain degree of skepticism.

But cooking the statistics does the public little good as we are not aware of exactly what crimes are happening in our neighborhoods.  As a result, we cannot take measures to protect ourselves or help prevent future crimes from occurring before other people are victimized.  Also if we were made aware of potential threats we may be able to provide the Police with information needed to solve these crimes.

On Monday September 14, 2009, Principal Joy Ross of the Anglican Diocesan Preschool was preparing to leave for the day when she and her grandchild were held up by a young man with a knife.  Ross made a report of her ordeal but the Police did not report the incident to the media as part of their new need to know information sharing policy.  But the non-reporting is cold comfort to the victims and can be dangerous as another teacher soon found out.

On September 22, Nicolette Bradley, an Infant 1 assistant teacher at Holy Redeemer Primary School, and her niece were held up by a young man presumably armed with a gun and assaulted as they were preparing to leave for the day.  Perhaps if the Police had reported on Ross’ ordeal, Bradley would have taken extra measures to protect herself and her niece.

It would appear that the Police are more concerned with showing that crime is down and not our safety as they did not bother to share the information of another teacher falling victim in her workplace with the media.  This will no longer do as crime rages on.

Because of the underreporting of crime, we do not know how safe our streets are.  But one thing is for sure.  The country is not as safe as Perdomo and Jefferies claimed it was just last week.  They should come clean about having misled us about our safety. After all, we are fully aware that statistics do not tell the whole story, and sometimes do not even tell a true story.

| | | | | |