Dear Sir,
I would implore GOB, to take a close look at security at our northern border. We are not expecting an invasion from Mexico, what we have is an exorbitant amount of people consuming excessive alcohol, be it on the Mexican side or at the Free Zone.
Once these persons or group of persons are under the spirits, they become upstart and aggressive. Many times we have seen the customs officers having problems with these intoxicated people, that they have to resort to physical confrontation. It has just been lucky that there have not been major incidences because the security is lax.
On Sunday, there was a confrontation between two groups, a group of super intoxicated guys and a group of sober family guys who got attacked just as they passed through immigration and entered the Belize compound. The family females were very nervous, and the kids were crying. One of the sober guys got hit in the face and back of the head with stones; he was lucky not to have been gravely hurt. While the fight was taking place, the females kept asking the customs officers to intervene and stop the fighting: their response was that they were not policemen.
What a crying shame! No police to stop these kinds of incidents! You cross into the Mexican side and soldiers are protecting the borders, not from a Belizean invasion, but from vandals and incidents such as these.
The drinking in public or intoxication in public, laws of Belize, are totally ignored countrywide, and many tragedies have taken place because of this. A week or so ago, I heard on Love FM that Mayor Gutierrez in P.G. had taken the bull by the horns and started regulating the drinking in public. Kudos to her! Although, I think the Police Department should have addressed this issue a long time ago all over the country.
Over consumption of alcohol, causes aggressiveness in most people; thus the laws were made to regulate this, but they are not being enforced. If this issue is addressed by the proper authorities we will see a lot less foolish violence on our streets.
Regards,
Romel Cuello