BELMOPAN, Fri. Dec. 17, 2021– Earlier in the year, the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Kareem Musa, and Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams informed the public that a record-high number of persons had applied to join Belize’s Police Department. Reports from the Police Commissioner back in January were that about 2,700 persons had sat the entry exams, with over 1,000 applicants receiving passing scores. The department then had the task of sifting through that large group, using various criteria, to select 225 officers who would be included in the department’s 95th intake. After a six-month training period, those 200+ recruited officers participated in a graduation ceremony at the Police Training Academy in Belmopan on Friday, which marked their official entry into the force.

Among those who attended the ceremony were high-ranking officers of the Police Department, as well as the Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries, Hon. Kareem Musa, and the Governor General of Belize, Her Excellency Froyla Tzalam. When interviewed by reporters after the ceremony, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams indicated that he was particularly hopeful about the level of policing that would be provided by this latest group of recruits, since they were given more structured, expansive and in-depth training than previous intakes had received. According to the Police Commissioner, the recruits in Intake 95, ninety-seven of whom will be assigned to units within Belize City, are now the most qualified set of officers to enter the Police Department as rookies.

“They went through vigorous training in different disciplines and aspects of policing. They did criminal law, they did traffic law, they did human rights, they did constitution and every other aspect of the law with a view to ensure that they are brought up to standard. It is the most qualified squad that we have ever recruited. It is the first time in the history of our police training school or academy that every single recruit who passed out today successfully completed the training, which means that they passed. In the past, when we have recruits who failed, they were still allowed to graduate. But this time, we said no: if it is that you want to walk through the gates of this compound having completed your training, you must pass the academic and you must pass the FTO aspect of training, and I am proud to see that we have achieved that,” stated Commissioner Williams.

The Commissioner also indicated that some recruits were released from the program due to errant conduct or irregularities in their performance during the in-service portion of the training. A dozen recruits, however, received recognition during the ceremony for outstanding performance in various aspects of the training program — including the portions of the program that imparted skills in first aid and awareness of human rights principles. Top performers in the written exam were also awarded. The recruit who was singled out as being the most outstanding participant in the program — PC Earlwin Teul, was presented with the Baton of Honor during the ceremony and delivered brief remarks to those in attendance. Hon. Kareem Musa also shared some words of encouragement during the proceedings. He urged the recruits to become the “future of policing” in the country, and expressed hopes that this new intake will assist in tackling the surge in crime that the country has seen over the past few years.

While the largest portion of recruits (a total of ninety-seven) will be assigned to Belize City, at least ten officers will be assigned to each of the other formations and sub-formations in the country, according to Commissioner Williams.