Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr. Luis Castellanos and the San Pedro Police Department have been getting high praises from the San Pedro Town Council and Neighborhood Watch presidents this week as the department has proven to have effectively decreased crime on the island.
In his report to Mayor Daniel Guerrero, ASP Castellanos indicated that Ambergris Caye saw fewer crimes in the month of July over the past couple of months. Crime is going down even during the slow season, something that Castellanos attributes to more ‘Stop and Search’ of suspicious characters on the streets and beach patrol that swept off unwanted loiterers, peddlers and vagrants.
“These have been very effective in our fight against crime,” commented ASP Castellanos. “Just in July my officers logged 249 searches on people.” The department’s law enforcement response report includes 100 mobile patrols, 20 foot patrols, 45 house searches and 10 arrests.
This comes as very good news to residents of Ambergris Caye, as reports during the month of June had indicated an increase in crime, in particular burglary. Only five burglaries were reported in July as compared to 14 in June. The most problematic areas on the island where more crime is reports remain in Sector 2 being town core, Coconut Drive, San Pedrito, San Juan and Boca del Rio areas.
The North Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch group is very happy with the performance of the San Pedro Police Department, reporting much less crime in the area. ASP Castallano noted that his main challenge at the moment is with drug activity at the northern-most point of the island. He is working on increasing patrols and anti-drug operations in the area.
Mayor Daniel Guerrero indicated that the Town Council is lobbying hard to have assigned ten more police officers to the island, bringing the total to 50 officers for Ambergris Caye. He is also acquiring a new vehicle for the department as the current police trucks are in dire need of repairs.
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