Local News

The urban warfare continued overnight and the result was another body in the morgue and one more youth in the emergency ward at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.  The latest murder victim has been identified as nineteen year old Tevin Fergusson, a resident of Flamboyant Street in the Lake Independence area of Belize City.  Twenty eight year old Mark Godoy is listed in a stable condition at the KHMH, recovering from gunshot wounds to his chest, hip and the upper part of his back.  According to police reports, Godoy was sitting on a step in his yard around six forty five last night, when a dark complexion man dressed in a grey T-shirt, grey long pants and a camouflage cap entered the yard and opened fire, hitting Godoy. Fifteen minutes later, police say they responded to a scene on Linda Vista Street, where they found the body of a man, matching the description of the gunman who shot Godoy.  That alleged gunman, was Tevin Ferguson, and he was found wearing the same clothes matching the description given to police as the person who entered Godoy’s yard and fired several shots.  Fergusson’s body was riddled with gunshot wounds to the neck, chest, back and right side of the body.  Police say they also found a nine millimeter pistol beside his body.  While police investigation continues, today, Minister of National Security John Saldivar told Love News that law enforcement authorities will continue to work to keep the streets safe.

HON. JOHN SALDIVAR

Minister of National Security

Belize

“We’ve got to distinguish between acts of violence that may be, may result in innocent persons being hurt and we’re trying our best to ensure that we do the proper policing to make sure that the violence is contained to these criminal organisations and their members.  The recent spike over the last few days has also been, as information has passed to me, as a result of internal, within couple of the gangs, they are having problems in resolving their conflicts and I hope that we are able to keep it within those organisations and that innocent bystanders are not hurt.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“Does this hurt the Government’s whole effort with Restore Belize when you have this kind of spike in gang violence?

HON. JOHN SALDIVAR

Minister of National Security

Belize

“I think we also must make it clear to the public that so far most, if not all but most certainly of these incidents have been with gangs that are not a part of the gang truce.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“But overall, don’t you agree, people when they hear gang they don’t think whether they are a part of the gang truce or not.”

HON. JOHN SALDIVAR

Minister of National Security

Belize

“Well, you mention Restore Belize and that’s the reason I gave you that response because Restore Belize has been able to work with the gangs that wish to work with it.  If there are gangs out there that still do not wish to be part of the Restore Belize process then there is nothing we can do about that except to police and interdict and try to get them through the court process.  But overall as you said, yes, we do have a concern that this continues to happen and we believe that we are taking steps in the department and especially now we are beefing up our surveillance capabilities and our intelligence gathering capabilities which within another week or so we should be where we want to be in terms of that and I hope that that will have an impact in terms of deterring even the internal gang warfare.”

Meanwhile, the police department is continuing to grapple with corruption within its ranks. This week, two officers attached to the Punta Gorda police station were charged for the crime of murder. And on Wednesday, a Belize Defense Force soldier was brought up on criminal charges, accused of handling stolen goods. The Minister of National Security says that the security forces continue to purge itself of persons who are bent on breaking the very law they are sworn to uphold.

HON. JOHN SALDIVAR

Minister of National Security

Belize

“Well I think they are both being handled through the court system, our department and our Ministry has zero tolerance for this kind of behavior.  At this point it is alleged and they are being taken to court and those will be dealt with in the court system.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“What can you say to the people of PG because they are complaining that long before this murder that the police officers in that southern most town have not been behaving right?”

HON. JOHN SALDIVAR

Minister of National Security

Belize

“I haven’t had any reports of that and I wish to call on the public that when they do have behavior, rogue behavior that they call it in, that they report it, they go to sign statements and if that is not working that they go to our Ministry for us to deal with the matter.  Unfortunately, in this particular instance no complaint was lodged at my ministry.”

PATRICK JONES

Senior News Reporter

Love FM

“As the Minister, how do you see us getting back to a point where the community can have that confidence in the Police and now, the BDF because officers are coming up hand over fist being accused of wrong doing?”

HON. JOHN SALDIVAR

Minister of National Security

Belize

“Well first of all we should look at it the other way that we are purging the department and the force of corrupt police and bdf officers and that perhaps in the past this may not have been done so easily.  I am intent on making sure that all those who are accused of wrong doing are brought before the court and a case brought against them and so I hope the public understands that we have zero tolerance for these kind of rogue behavior and we are moving forward and trying to purge these various organisations of the type of rogue behavior.”

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