Opposition oppose Barrow's crime-fighting proposal

BELIZE (CMC):

The main opposition People's United Party (PUP) has strongly condemned a proposal put forward by the Dean Barrow administration to deal with the escalating crime in Belize.

Prime Minister Barrow announced earlier this month that he would introduce legislation seeking to change the Belize constitution to allow for "preventative detention", which will allow law-enforcement authorities to incarcerate potential criminals for up to 21 days without charging them.

But PUP Deputy Leader Francis Fonseca said while the Opposition agrees that crime is out of control, the 'quick fix' proposed by the prime minister is not the way to go.

"Our response has to be very careful - a careful response and a measured response," said Fonseca.

The full details of how the preventative detention will work have not been made public; but Minister of Police and Public Safety Douglas Singh told reporters that the proposal calls for the detention of persons suspected of planning criminal activities for no more than 21 days, subject to an order issued by a Supreme Court judge.

He said the judge would only act after the police department would have made a successful application for a detention order.