The Community Policing Unit, CPU in Benque Viejo del Carmen is very vibrant with all its member officers working at the centrally located station; however they are facing a few challenges. This unit is hopeful that 2016 will bring positive impacts to Benque Police and community relations.
The ‘Du The Rait Ting’ Program is working, but at this time only the Mopan High School is submitting candidates; although they are frequently late with them. Renewed efforts by the CPU will be made to get more schools to participate and to do so in a timely manner.
The People’s Coalition Committee PCC is dormant at this time in Benque. Several efforts have been made to reignite the PCC, but at the same time not making it political as it formerly was. At this time the best candidate for the chairperson for the PCC is Mr. Alfredo Kuylen.
The older cadets have started High School and work during the weekends to make ends meet. As a result the Community Policing Unit in Benque has most cadets 12 years or under. This makes it harder to train the new ones that are coming in; however new talent is obtained with the young ones.
Neighborhood Watch Groups exist in all five zones in Benque Viejo and in Succotz Village. However; Zone 2 and three are very dormant. The people who live in those areas are known to be heavily involved in contraband and as a result don’t want to attend the meetings, citing that neighbors will think that they are spies for the police. This coming year efforts will be renewed by Benque Viejo Police to get people to understand that Neighborhood Watch is not what they think, but it is to help each other in times of need.
The Youth friendly Space at the Community Policing Unit in Benque was used throughout the year, with many students getting assistance with their homework. However; it could be improved this coming year with at least three more computers and a faster internet. At this time the Benque Unit has only one working computer and a very slow internet, which takes a lot of time to open a web page when research is being done from there.
Patrols and visits are frequently done at all schools in the jurisdictions of Benque Police. However; the Mopan High School continues to be one of the schools with the most problems, such as drug use and selling, bulling issues and poor respect for staff. More lectures will be done by Benque Police this coming year and Police will patrol the area when schools are letting out students. At least two motorcycles would assist Benque Police in better patrolling the other schools.
As for the Police Crime Prevention Education Program (PCPEP), this is a program that most schools have requested from Benque Police throughout the whole year. However; it requires a Laptop computer and PowerPoint presentations to be prepared for the different topics that are requested. This PCPEP program is very effective and this coming year Benque Police intends to do more presentations on more topics that affect the schools and the community, but a laptop is needed along with a potable PA system and a screen.
The Gang Resistance Education And Training GREAT program is also working great in Benque’s schools. All schools want GREAT, but at this time Benque’s Police do not have enough officers trained to teach it. Fortunately, the US embassy has facilitated that the GREAT program be taught twice a year in Belize to police officers, so they can go into the schools and teach it. Benque will be sending up as many police officers to take the training on GREAT. Also for this coming year, plans are underway for GREAT to be taught in Spanish to youth at one of the local churches and that would be the first of its kind in Belize.
The Community Policing Unit in Benque has an adopt an elderly program where the cadets have adopted Miss. Rosa Mariega, an 87 year old. These energetic young people visit her at least once a month to clean her yard and assist her with house chores. We intend to expand this program to each zone in Benque Viejo.
The ‘Du The Rait Ting’ Program is working, but at this time only the Mopan High School is submitting candidates; although they are frequently late with them. Renewed efforts by the CPU will be made to get more schools to participate and to do so in a timely manner.
The People’s Coalition Committee PCC is dormant at this time in Benque. Several efforts have been made to reignite the PCC, but at the same time not making it political as it formerly was. At this time the best candidate for the chairperson for the PCC is Mr. Alfredo Kuylen.
The older cadets have started High School and work during the weekends to make ends meet. As a result the Community Policing Unit in Benque has most cadets 12 years or under. This makes it harder to train the new ones that are coming in; however new talent is obtained with the young ones.
Neighborhood Watch Groups exist in all five zones in Benque Viejo and in Succotz Village. However; Zone 2 and three are very dormant. The people who live in those areas are known to be heavily involved in contraband and as a result don’t want to attend the meetings, citing that neighbors will think that they are spies for the police. This coming year efforts will be renewed by Benque Viejo Police to get people to understand that Neighborhood Watch is not what they think, but it is to help each other in times of need.
The Youth friendly Space at the Community Policing Unit in Benque was used throughout the year, with many students getting assistance with their homework. However; it could be improved this coming year with at least three more computers and a faster internet. At this time the Benque Unit has only one working computer and a very slow internet, which takes a lot of time to open a web page when research is being done from there.
Patrols and visits are frequently done at all schools in the jurisdictions of Benque Police. However; the Mopan High School continues to be one of the schools with the most problems, such as drug use and selling, bulling issues and poor respect for staff. More lectures will be done by Benque Police this coming year and Police will patrol the area when schools are letting out students. At least two motorcycles would assist Benque Police in better patrolling the other schools.
As for the Police Crime Prevention Education Program (PCPEP), this is a program that most schools have requested from Benque Police throughout the whole year. However; it requires a Laptop computer and PowerPoint presentations to be prepared for the different topics that are requested. This PCPEP program is very effective and this coming year Benque Police intends to do more presentations on more topics that affect the schools and the community, but a laptop is needed along with a potable PA system and a screen.
The Gang Resistance Education And Training GREAT program is also working great in Benque’s schools. All schools want GREAT, but at this time Benque’s Police do not have enough officers trained to teach it. Fortunately, the US embassy has facilitated that the GREAT program be taught twice a year in Belize to police officers, so they can go into the schools and teach it. Benque will be sending up as many police officers to take the training on GREAT. Also for this coming year, plans are underway for GREAT to be taught in Spanish to youth at one of the local churches and that would be the first of its kind in Belize.
The Community Policing Unit in Benque has an adopt an elderly program where the cadets have adopted Miss. Rosa Mariega, an 87 year old. These energetic young people visit her at least once a month to clean her yard and assist her with house chores. We intend to expand this program to each zone in Benque Viejo.
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