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Posted By: Marty Donated Police truck out of commission - 12/10/11 01:48 PM
For the past 2 months

[Linked Image] The Police Department in San Pedro is short one truck, as their Hilux pickup truck has been parked at the mechanic shop for the past two months awaiting repairs. This of course is a genuine concern to island residents, especially considering the current crime situation. As the excuse for a delay in police response is usually "lack of transportation", the community is frustrated, and The San Pedro Sun investigated as to the cause of this "lack of transport".

The SPSun visited the mechanic shop in the Escalante area where the vehicle has been awaiting repairs. The truck was seen parked with its front right wheel off and parts of the machine exposed. The bearings of the right wheel had worn out and the parts are not available in Belize. The brand new vehicle was donated to the SP Police by members of the business community less than a year ago. During this one year period, the mechanic claims that it has been in and out of the shop on several occasions. Those instances include once when the power steering was broken and twice after a crash (with both sides of the vehicle needing repairs). One of the mechanics told The SPSun that not only does the salt air in the environment contribute to the wear and tear of the vehicle but the reckless driving and the apparent disregard of the donation also plays a big role in the vehicle being down. The mechanic explained that since the vehicle was taken to them for repair, there has been little effort by the Belize Police Department to get it fixed. "The vehicle, valued at about $69,000, was a gift to them and for a repair that will cost at about $2,500 at the most, the Police left the pickup parked at our mechanic shop; that shows their lack of interest," said one of the mechanics at the shop.

Click here for the rest of the story and more pictures in the San Pedro Sun!
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