When I joined the Belize Police Force on April the 23rd 1973, I was sent to the Police Training School that was located in Ladyville at the time for six months of training. The Commandant of the school was Superintendent Winston Carcamo.

Among his staff were the following individuals: Inspector Gardner, Sgt. Adolph Lucas — Criminal Law and Immigration Instructor, Sgt. Sherman Zuniga — Rules of Evidence Instructor, Sgt. Aaron Popper — Drill and Weapons Training Instructor, Cpl. Rivero — Criminal Law and Traffic Instructor, Cpl. Belisle — Police Duties and Physical Fitness Instructor, Cpl. Frazier — Physical Fitness and Weapons Training Instructor, and Cpl. Mejia — Mess Hall NCO i/c.

Superintendent Carcamo was replaced by Assistant Superintendent Gilbert Franklin, because he was sent to Belize City to become the commandant of Eastern Division in Belize City. When I graduated from the academy on October the 19th of that year, most of these NCO’s were transferred to other assignments. Sgt. Lucas was sent to the Patrol Branch section of Eastern Division, where I was first assigned. It was a pleasure to work under his command because as a new police officer, it was police duties at its best. All the officers had to report on time, be clean and follow the rules under the Police Ordinance which was Chapter 59 at the time.

I was transferred from Patrol Branch to the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and I left Sgt. Lucas there. A year after I was transferred again to Orange Walk District, where I remained for three years and was promoted to Corporal. In 1977 I returned back to Patrol Branch and I think he was then working at the Prosecution Branch in Belize City.

In 1978 I left Belize to come to the United States and I resigned from the Belize Police Force from here. Police officers always remain in contact with each other to inquire about how their brothers and sisters are doing. He was one of the NCO’s along with Cpl. Rivero that I always inquired about because I loved the subjects they were teaching and was thinking about becoming an instructor myself one day. I knew that Sgts. Lucas and  Zuniga, Cpl. Rivero and other NCO’s were all taking courses from London in General Principles of Law to improve their knowledge of the subject.

Later on I found out that Sgt. Zuniga rose to the rank of Commissioner of Police, Sgt. Lucas was working as a Magistrate and that Cpl. Rivero was studying Law at U.W.I. and upon his return to Belize, he was assigned to the Solicitor General’s office. I made my first return trip to Belize in 1988 and I met Commissioner Zuniga and Lawyer Rivero in Belmopan. I travelled to Belize on several occasions but I only met Judge Lucas once and that was in the spring of 2007, when my classmate Charles Locario died; he was at the funeral. I have not seen him since but later found out that he was appointed to the Belize Supreme Court.

I am happy for him because all those years that I knew him he always had a plan and remained focused on what he wanted to do with his life. Adolph Lucas has always been a person to keep a low profile and he is still that way. He is one of the nicest persons you can meet and he is definitely a good family member and friend to have by your side. When I go back to Belize again, I will make it my business to sit with him and tell him how much I am proud of his contributions to my life and his accomplishments.

In my eyes he is a role model, whom many of our young people can look up to in order to make it in life. He has proven that with a plan, passion and determination many things can become a reality in a person’s life. Happy retirement to you, my dear friend Adolph Lucas, and please consider going into private practice. Many of our young lawyers need guidance on court procedures, police duties, rule of evidence and other aspects of Belize laws. Upholding and enforcing the laws of a country are key components that benefit all citizens. In Belize upholding our laws is becoming a major challenge for our government.