CRIMES CONTROL COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTIONS

August 17, 2006

The twenty seventh sitting of the Crimes Control Council took place in Belize City yesterday.  The council released a report of the achievements made for the period 2003 to 2006. We spoke with Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ismael Cal.
 
Ismael Cal: Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
“Basically our objective of the crime control council is working along the society to reduce crime.  This we do it by passing out legislations, by amending legislation, by making recommendations to the cabinet, more or less focusing on good projects that can be implemented in the country, evaluating projects that have impacts on crime and making our contributions on government for it to legislate.  Yes, we have recommended to government to assist more into the police department like today you saw we brought in the media but this is a job for everybody so we are trying to identify which areas we can work and we can request the assistance of the public.”

Ismael Cal, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Ministry of Home Affairs Administrative Officer, Errol Gentle says the council has made significant achievements over the last three years.

Errol Gentle: Ministry of Home Affairs Administrative Officer
“If we talk about strengthening of legislation, if we talk about making it more difficult then for criminals to commit certain types of crimes and getting away with it.  If you look at the amount of cooperation and networking that has been taking place between for example the DPP office and the police, fast tracking of for example case files.  We had backloads of case files and now because of the created hearings, the council, because all the stakeholders come together and they talk and they see where we could improve certain things to see the police doing better investigations, the files go to the DPP, the DPP dealing with the files, the files going back to the courts and that sort of things.”

Errol Gentle, Administrative Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Members of the media were invited to take part in yesterday’s meeting in which four resolutions were adopted. It was agreed that the media should allow for the system to work when reporting on crimes without adding to any of the negativity in the society and to be respectful of the victims of crime in particular those involved in sexual offenses. It was agreed to carry out initiatives to generate funding for local programming in particular for television program. In an effort to fight crime in the country it was also agreed that the council should encourage investments in youth organizations. The final resolution that was adopted that the Crime Control Council would request that the Ministry responsible for the information and the Belize Broadcasting Authority pursue the formation of an industry media industry association.

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