Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
A State of Emergency was declared for one month, but it could be extended.
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 7, 2025
In response to a string of shootings that have taken place in the Belize District since Saturday, May 3, the Belize Police Department has officially launched a State of Emergency (SOE) in Belize City and in rural communities in the Cayo District.
The SOE has been declared only days after the new Commissioner of Police, Dr. Richard Rosado, officially assumed the Police Commissioner role.
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police meeting with senior police officers in Belize City
The spate of gang violence, as previously mentioned, began over the weekend with the attempted murder of 27-year-old Jimmy Rojas while he was on Tribuce Street in the St. Martin De Porres area, which is considered the territory of the Peace in the Village (PIV) gang.
That shooting triggered a series of retaliatory actions which led to the death of two men in Rural Belize—36-year-old Aaron Lindo in Double Head Cabbage, and 37-year-old Nelson “Mung” Henry in Ladyville, who were allegedly affiliated with the PIV and Back-a-Land Crips (BLC) (rivaling groups), respectively.
The most recent killing to take place on the heels of those deaths was the fatal shooting on Tuesday of 31-year-old Kadeem Orozco on Ebony Street, which was the third gang-affiliated murder.
While commenting on the recent string of shootings, Commissioner Rosado remarked that an SOE should have been declared after the death of Brandon Baptist in February of this year.
“With the death of Brandon Baptist, the security threat was high; and with the shooting of Rojas, it has now escalated to a critical level … I believe that one month will not suffice; two months will not suffice; and we must start at six months at the very least. But in any case, there must be some drastic measures to be taken,” he said.
“We’re deploying all available resources to restore peace, safety and normalcy to the streets. Those recent incidents are unacceptable, and we are doing everything possible to bring those individuals to justice,” Commissioner Rosado went on to say.
Later on Tuesday, May 6, it was declared that a State of Emergency would be put into effect for one month in certain areas of Belize City, rural Belize, and villages in the Cayo District.
The affected areas in Belize City are the following: the areas from the George Price Highway to the Belize River, from Central American Boulevard to Lake Independence Blvd; from Central American Boulevard to George Price Highway to Fabers Road; from Central American Boulevard to the George Price Highway to the Caribbean Sea to Fabers Road; from Haulover Creek to Cemetery Road to Central American Blvd to West Collet Canal; and sections around Cemetery Road, Queen Charlotte Street, Caesar Ridge Road; Yarborough Road to Regent Street to Haulover Creek; and Queen Street, Handyside Street, Gabourel Lane, and North Front Street.
It also included Ladyville, Lords Bank, and communities in areas from Mile 7 to 9 on the George Price Highway, including West Lake, Eight Miles, Sunset, and Western Pines.
Lastly, the Another World and Hattieville areas in Roaring Creek, and the Young Bank area in Camalote Village are also included.
In addition to the SOE being implemented, an estimated 60 alleged gang affiliates have been detained following the death of Orozco.