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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Soon to be on active duty

There are new vehicles rolling out for the Police Dept: the Minister of Police has been talking about upgrading the fleet of Police vehicles; well it looks that is now a reality. We were in the right spot today when a convoy of brand new Ford vehicles were preparing to leave for Belize City. They were parked like vehicles fresh off an assembly line on Constitution Dr. near to the Shell Gas Station, where they had been filling up for the trip east. We counted at least 10 double-cab Ford Ranger pick-ups, 3 black Ford Vans, 1 white van, 2 Nissan mini-buses, 1 Nissan double cab pick-up, and a blue Toyota Prado. We were unable to confirm when an official presentation of the vehicles will be conducted. Our best guesstimate of the cost of this new fleet would be in the neighbourhood of a million dollars.

PlusTV


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Marty Offline OP
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US Donates High Tech Vehicles To Police

The Central American Regional Security Initiative - known as CARSI - is an initiative of the US Government to spend 105 million US dollars this year to beef up security in the region.

It is of course, about the fact that U.S. drug demand makes the countries of Central America very unsafe - and indeed four of the highest murder rates in the world for 2011 - Belize included - were recorded in Central America.

So, CARSI is an attempt to try and fix the problem - the old fashioned way - by throwing money at it. To be fair, though, it's more than that - and over the past year, Belize has received 16 million dollars in performance based support through CARSI.

And today one of the largest donations was handed over: 1.1 million US dollars in 17 vehicles to be used for crime scene investigations, prisoner transport, mobile patrol, and community policing support.

Monica Bodden found out more at the handing over today:

Monica Bodden Reporting

Over the past year the Central American Regional Security Initiative has committed approximately 16 million Belize dollars to law enforcement personnel in the areas of community policing, border security, preventative initiatives and capacity enhancement.

Today a donation of 17 new vehicles and other equipment's which values over 1.1 million US dollars where handed over to the Belize police department as a part of the program.

H. E. Vinai K. Thummalapally - U.S. Ambassador to Belize
"Over the past year, I'm excited to announce that the US Embassy and the Government of Belize have for almost 6 million US dollars in CARSI funds. These funds are designated for citizen security initiatives in Belize, including - among other - law enforcement capacity building, boarder initiatives, and crime prevention efforts. Towards this end, we're donating approximately 1 million US dollars' worth of equipment today, including 17 vehicles. We're also providing training and assistance to law enforcement personnel, grants for at-risk youth programs, and infrastructure and technology upgrades. Let me highlight just a few of the key things we're doing under the CARSI program. With the new scenes of crime, forensic vehicle, the police will have a far better ability to gather and use forensic evidence to process crime scenes, and use the evidence collected to help catch and convict criminals. With 10 new vehicles for increased mobile patrols for Southside Belize City, police will be able to respond more quickly, and coupled with increased training in computerized equipment, they will strengthen their investigative procedures from beginning to end."

The CARSI program is fully funded by the government of the United States of America. The program started in 2010 as a follow on to the program of the Merida Initiative in 2008.

According to Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, Belize have been benefiting from the program since 2009.

Hon. John Saldivar - Minister of National Security
"This initiative is designed to assist countries in the region to combat local and trans-national organized crime. Belize benefitted from contributions in areas of boarder management, prison management, and policing. And the ambassador has dealt with that in detail in his presentation earlier. Today, we have 17 vehicles and computers being delivered to the police department, the forensic department, and others to the value of over 1.1 million US dollars. This new acquisition will help in our fight against crime in our efforts especially here in Belize City, and especially - as the ambassador indicated - on the Southside, but our program with these vehicles includes the entire City of Belize. As you may have heard from our Officer in Charge of Eastern Division, the City of Belize has now been sectionalized into 11 areas, and these vehicles will be deployed in each of these areas for more effective policing."

Officer in Charge of Eastern Division, ACP Aragon spoke about the new city structuring and how these vehicles will be deployed in these 11 areas.

ACP Elodio Aragon - Officer in Charge of Eastern Division
"In front of us, we have the 11 new zones for Belize City. We used to have 6 police zones, and we have since transformed those into 11 zones. This ensures that we have better control and command of each area. With the present donation from the US Embassy, each one of these vehicles will be placed in their respective zones. In essence, we'll have 11 police zones in the city with each zone having its own police patrol. This will ensure that 1.) We will have quicker response to 911 calls; 2.) We'll have more visibility of the police officers in those areas; 3.) Our police officers will be able to acquaint themselves more with the people who live within those specific zones; and I believe that it will enable us to ensure that we coordinate better when it comes to the response to crimes that have been reported to us. Some of these zones will be complemented with additional mobile patrols, especially the zones that are within what we designate as hotspot areas for us, in regards to the incidents of crime that occurs in those areas. And with the bicycle patrols that we are presently mounting, along with future equipment that we get, we will definitely begin to supplement these respective zones. This is not the case because we don't have the resources to put out a vehicle in each of the zones. But, being that we have received these vehicles from the US Embassy, this will come into effect maybe by tomorrow. We will have all these vehicles out there."

And the functioning gadgets on these new vehicles are highly impressive if you are into technology.

ACP Elodio Aragon
"With the new vehicles,what we did not have before, and will be implementing very soon - basically we've already equipped 4 vehicles, and before the end of the week, we should have all these vehicles a GPS system, which will give us the capability to, through the use of BTL to monitor these vehicles live. That means that we will see them live at our control room, seeing exactly where they are at any given time of the day. The demonstration that they are going to show you is basically showing you a demo with regards to the city, and with regards to vehicles that they have already have on their system. This will give us great command and control over these vehicles. We will know how long they have been parked, where they are at any given time, and that will improve our effectiveness. Also, this equipment come with geo-fencing, where if the vehicle leaves a location zone, an alarm will be sent, where we will check the system, and ensures that they return back to that area. So, these vehicles will remain in those zones, and are strictly for high visibility, and response to calls."

With the US Government assistance, Belize is also developing a K-9 detection capability. K-9s have been provided to find drugs and explosives. A demonstration was given today.

Today's donation also included computers, bullet proof vests and other equipment...

Channel 7


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Marty Offline OP
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U.S. donates police vehicles with cameras and crime scene equipment

The violent crime statistics has placed Belize among the five most violent countries globally. The US government today stepped in with a major donation that will hopefully assist to improve those statistics. Through a regional security initiative, CARSI, the US handed over today a fleet of vehicles, loaded with state of art security equipment to help law enforcers in the detection and apprehension of criminals. News Five's Jose Sanchez was present for the handing-over at the Roger's Stadium in Belize City.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

The Central American Regional Security Initiative is assisting the Belize Police department with its crime solving efforts. US Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally outlined how the equipment has now made it a technological war on crime.

Vinai Thummalapally

Vinai Thummalapally, U.S Ambassador to Belize

"Over the past year, I'm excited to announce that the U.S. Embassy and Government of Belize have signed for almost six million U.S. dollars in CARSI funds. These funds are designated for citizens security initiatives in Belize including among others; law enforcement capacity building, border initiatives and crime prevention efforts. Towards this end, we are donating approximately one million U.S. dollars worth of equipment today; including seventeen vehicles. We are also providing training and assistance to law enforcement personnel, grants for at risk youth programs and infrastructure and technology upgrades. Let me highlight just a few of the key things we are doing under the CARSI program. With the new scenes of crime forensic vehicles, the police will have a far better ability to gather and use forensic evidence to process crime scenes and use the evidence collected to help catch and convict criminals."

The new Scenes of Crime van has been outfitted with equipment giving it a value of ninety thousand dollars. It comes equipped with cameras, road lights, metal detectors, and a restoration kit for vehicle VIN numbers and a generator to keep scenes well lit.

Lloyd Roches, Head, Scenes of Crime

"The equipment varies from cameras to evidence hardcore lifting kits to the aphids tracker system."

Jose Sanchez

"What does that do; how does that help you with your work?"

Lloyd Roches

Lloyd Roches

"The aphids tracker system is used for when we go to scenes especially burglary scenes where we lift up any finger prints. When we return to the office, we download it into the system and if there is any match in there, the aphid's tracker system will automatically say this finger print matches this person. We cannot say that this person committed the crime, but this person was at the crime scene."

Jose Sanchez

"And this has been used before in the court. I think I've seen at least a couple convictions with it."

Lloyd Roches

"Yes, it has been used before-in the last years or so. Last year we had thirty-eight finger print matches when we are using Aphid's system."

Vinai Thummalapally

"With ten new vehicles for increased mobile patrols for South Side Belize City, police will be able to respond more quickly. And coupled with increased training and computerized equipment, they will strengthen their investigative procedures from beginning to end. With U.S. government assistance, Belize is developing a canine detection capability. Canines have been provided to find drugs, explosives and much more."

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Elodio Aragon junior, the police department structure once divided Belize City into six zones, population growth and technology has seen the need for eleven zones.

Elodio Aragon Jr., Assistant Commissioner of Police

Elodio Aragon Jr.

"In all, the city has now eleven zones, police zones. With the donation of these vehicles based on a proposal, we have looked at putting each one of these vehicles in each zone. So we will have eleven police zones with one vehicle each in each zone. Certain zones that we consider hot spot areas, etc where there is an increase in crime, etc., those zones will be complimented with additional resources that we presently have. So, [it is] to ensure that we are able to respond to calls from 911 quickly and to ensure that we have high visibility of police within these areas."

In those areas, the vehicles will be using audio visual feeds that will be monitored by the police department.

Santiago Ciau Jr., Police Constable

"Each of these vehicles that we have are equipped with a video camera. Previously we had ten which were already active. The camera records outside, inside and audio of whatever is going on at the time; it records all of the information. It also gives the location at the time of the recording-where the vehicle is-with a GPS setting and monitors the speed and mileage that the vehicle is going at the time."

Jose Sanchez

"Why is it important to have a visual of what the officers are doing or what they are saying?"

Santiago Ciau Jr.

Santiago Ciau Jr.

"Well it comes in handy if there is any allegation against the police officers if they did anything on that time. We can go back and review the camera and check to see if it did happen. Other than that also it shows what the police officers are doing at the time of the patrol. So it gives them the ability to defend themselves and protect the citizens."

Jose Sanchez

"Where does this information go? Is it going through the internet? Where is it monitored? Is it something that is viewed at the end of the day?"

Santiago Ciau Jr.

"It is viewed every morning at eight o'clock; the footage is downloaded and viewed. It is reviewed by me. There was one incident with a mobile where it crashed into a bus and the bus driver came out and said that it was the mobile's fault. When reviewing the camera, it showed that the bus was parked and that the mobile; that the bus came into contact with the mobile. The bus owner then said that it would make the insurance deal with it because it was his fault."

Jose Sanchez

"So how many vehicles are with this system?"

Santiago Ciau Jr.

"Well currently we have ten that are already out and all the other vehicles that are here came equipped with it already."

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Channel 5


Joined: Sep 2002
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I know, a stupid question but is SP getting any of this ?


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