No Leadership to Be Found Anywhere…

The sensational revelation that a rogue police officer was allegedly the mastermind of a criminal ring that was responsible for a string of armed robberies countrywide, particularly the Belize City Social Security Board, the Belize City branch of Courts, and the deadly Spanish Lookout Scotiabank heists that netted hundreds of thousands of dollars, while other officers may be involved in murder for hire was another hit to the embattled leadership of the Minister of National Security Honorable Carlos Perdomo.

At the same time, Perdomo’s absence as well as that of his Chief Executive Officer the former Deputy Commissioner of Police Alan Whylie at the head table at last Thursday’s press conference that detailed how the Police Department busted up the criminal ring and put one of its very own behind bars perhaps reveals that the Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow has now placed all his fate in the Commissioner of Police Crispin Jefferies to ratchet up the administration’s fight against crime, and that he finally has had enough of the incompetent Perdomo, who has been fluttering in the wind for much too long.

But to put it bluntly, Barrow himself has displayed abject leadership in the fight against crime and has failed to inspire confidence that he has the inclination, will, or that he can develop effective strategies and policies to support the police’s operational efforts. Since he took office, no serious progress has been made in the fight against crime.  This has resulted in most of us living in fear and being terrified to leave the false security of our very homes.  Yet to date, no one has been held accountable for the failure to reduce crime, particularly the intolerable murder rate.

Instead, Jefferies, who is way past the mandatory retirement age, was given another one year contract despite his heavy handed policing methods that has turned many law abiding citizens against the very persons who are tasked to protect them.  As the country’s top cop, Jefferies has hardly made any difference and is as accountable as his boss Perdomo for the failure to reduce crime that has led to the police losing ground to criminals.  Perhaps Barrow cannot let go of Jefferies yet because he has little confidence in the ability of the other top ranking officers to lead the attack against crime.

But this is clearly unacceptable because we cannot continue with what has spectacularly failed.  The unprecedented lawlessness, particularly the wanton murders, poses the greatest threat to our safety.  While the majority of the murders are committed in South Side Belize City, the killing fields are national.  No community is immune or safe today.  This has caused national outrage and engendered a sense of crises, yet it seems that the administration has failed to hear our cries and to realize that the crime situation is growing worse.  Honestly, its response has been disappointing and disheartening.

Perhaps the unprecedented lawlessness wreaking havoc in the country may be arrested through greater cooperation between the badly traumatized citizenry and the police.  Clearly, there are persons out there with valuable information about criminal activities who can share it with the police in order for prosecutors to convict perpetrators of crime.  But that will not happen anytime soon because there is a wide gulf that exists between most of us and the police that has led to a lack of trust that continues to stifle the police’s efforts to effectively combat crime and apprehend criminals.

Although we are fearful of the criminals, we would twice about confiding in the police.  It seems that far too many of our officers are friendly with known criminals.  And as Jefferies admitted last week, there are rogue officers, who purposefully mislead fellow officers in their efforts to solve cases.  We do not want to have our safety compromised by telling the police what we know, particularly when it seems that criminals operate with impunity in our country.  As a result, prosecutors frequently have difficulty proving their cases and have watched people they know to be guilty walk free.

With the evidence that officers are involved in criminal activity, the lack of confidence in the police will only get worse.  Jefferies’ revelation only proved what most of us have suspected for some time now – that the Police Department is corrupt and that this corruption permeates all levels of the Department, including the High Command.  Clearly, too many officers enjoy lifestyles that are inexplicable given their own meager incomes.  Moreover, there is the perception that too many of our officers are not honest, truthful, fair, and dedicated to the rule of law.

To be fair to Jefferies and Barrow, both declared at last Thursday’s press conference that they will not tolerate rogue officers in the ranks of the police.  However, both appeared to have been grandstanding to assuage our fears and gave the impression that crime would be down now that criminal ring was foiled.  But until their talk turns into tangible action that reassures us, particularly in the crime-ridden communities, that they are serious about ridding the ranks of rogue officers, we will not trust the police.  This is not to say that there are not hardworking and honest officers in the Department.

Nevertheless, we are becoming frustrated at Barrow’s inability to respond effectively to the serious threats that crime poses to our society.  Also, he needs to keep in mind that the failure of Perdomo and Jefferies to reduce crime is as much his responsibility as theirs.  By failing to remove them from their posts despite their spectacular failures, he agreed that they were doing a good job.  Come to think of it, the greater responsibility rests with him because he failed to be at the forefront of an effective campaign to attack crime in the country.

Editor’s Note – This article was written before it was revealed that the proclamation at the police press conference was nothing more than a sham to lure Belizeans into a false sense of security and a belief that our government can do something right. Sadly, we are even more certain now that that is not the case.

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