by Kristen Ku
BELMOPAN, Thurs. June 22, 2023
On Thursday, June 22, 2023, Belize eagerly received a cohort of 145 newly graduated police officers, otherwise known as Squad 96, who had successfully navigated the 6-month training regimen that culminated today.
The ceremony was conducted in Belmopan, at the National Police Training Academy. The venue witnessed the esteemed presence of Belize’s Governor General, Dame Froyla Tzalam; the Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries, Hon. Kareem Musa; the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams; along with friends and relatives of the novice officers.
The new team of 145 members comprises of 42 female and 103 male officers. On the heels of Squad 95’s induction ceremony in 2021, which held a record-breaking group of 220 graduates, the Commissioner of Police is optimistic about safeguarding Belize’s citizens.
“We anticipate with the injection of this new squad into our ranks that we will be able to cover more grounds in terms of providing citizen security to our people,” he expressed in an interview. “This squad, as much as it did not give us the amount of officers we need to carry out our expansion, it gives us that start that we need.”
The fresh officers are being strategically deployed across the nation, with the northern, western and southern regions receiving a substantial majority. This departs from the usual protocol of dispatching officers mainly to the eastern region (Belize District), a shift which Williams deemed essential.
In light of a revised training curriculum, Squad 96 experienced innovative methodologies, inclusive of a balanced mix of theoretical learning and practical firearm handling, incorporating various model types.
With the incorporation of new officers and the introduction of an updated curriculum and criteria, Minister Musa’s aspiration is to mold exemplary leaders. “It is my hope and my expectation that they will be leaders within their precincts, whichever precinct they’re posted to. We look forward to greater things from both squad 95 and 96,” he expressed.
Musa holds a distinct hope that, despite the lengthy journey ahead, these new officers will succeed in revitalizing the respect and faith in the police department, in collaboration with the law-abiding citizens of Belize.
Furthermore, Williams highlighted that the present objective now, in light of the considerable number of officers retiring, being discharged, or vacating their positions owing to health issues, is to amplify the officer count by the end of the year.
“We’re trying to reach at least 2,600 by the end of this year, but I doubt we will be able to achieve that. Squad 97 should be 250, so it’s going to be bigger than this one, and we believe that with that squad it will put us close to the 2,600 number that we’re trying to reach,” he stated.
The selection process for Squad 97 has already been set into motion, with examinations and interviews in progress, and training projected to commence by the end of August 2023.