In 1968, after a coup against Haitian president, Papa Doc Duvalier failed, he purged the army and police, and put in his own people to police Haiti! These security agents had broad-ranging powers, to arrest or assassinate anyone they thought was a threat to the state. They were feared, and with free rein they controlled crime, and any threat to the government! They were identified by their dark sunglasses, and were said to have magical powers. Already superstitious, the average Haitians were conditioned to believe anything. With their straw hats, dark glasses and machetes or guns, they brooked no opposition or any breaking of the law, except for themselves. They finally withered away with the last visages of the Baby Doc regime.
First of all, I want to make it clear that I’m not comparing the Belize Police Force to the tontons, absolutely not! What I am saying, though, is that we don’t want to reach a point in Belize where the police are more feared than respected! If you are afraid of someone, it means you don’t trust them. It means that you will not cooperate with them for fear of retribution, or anger, or malice! The police have to be true to their universal motto, to serve and protect! Without that trust and respect, you are inviting anarchy and chaos! After all, the police depend on the public to solve and to help prevent crime. Without that cooperation, you will make mistakes, severe and fatal mistakes.
What happened to Derrick Uh is unforgivable! There is no way that someone who is allegedly drunk and disorderly should pay for that mistake with his life, especially not the cruel and inhumane manner in which he perished! To suffocate and roast at the same time, has to be the most disgusting and appalling way for anyone to spend their final moments, like an animal! The response from the Commissioner of Police has been unacceptable, totally devoid of empathy. There are no 2 sides to this unfortunate incident, no possible defense for the callous and indecent way this man died in police custody!
The Minister of police has his work cut out for him, to calm the fears of the public after this abomination. He seriously has to consider changing the leadership of a force that is apparently rudderless, bring in new blood to change the direction of how law and order is administered! Get rid of those death traps, those vans that are instruments of torture and apparently, death! Get rid of stupid excuses, and the stark reality that too many are dying unnecessarily because of bad policing. Maybe we need a military leadership, instead of lawyers and bureaucrats that spend more time on television, than making sure that the populace is safe!
Every single Belizean should be angry about this atrocity, every single one! Those who caused this should be held responsible, no excuses! What possible excuse could you give to Derrick’s family? None!!! Please do something to put a stop to this apparently legal carnage, before we start viewing the police as tontons!
Glen