Ambergris Caye Directory
February 13, 2012 - 09:46 
- Letters to the Editor: Police Neglect
On Monday, February 6, 2012, and about 12:30 pm I just returned from town and heard our neighbor known only to me as Carl yelling profanities and and as soon as he caught my eye he proceeded to climb over the two fences separating our yards. My husband told me to get into the house, and we locked the doors and closed the windows. Carl was definitely under the influence of something but seemed extremely agitated, calling out my husband so he can beat him and threatened our lives.
We placed the first call to the San Pedro Police at 12:40 pm asking for help, told them that he was not only in our yard but on our porch banging at our windows. He continued to curse and bang at our windows and threatening us. A neighbor’s son came over to tell us that his Mom also had called the police. We continued to place multiple calls asking for help. We felt the situation was getting worse. Still nobody came. I called and was hung up on. I called and asked to speak
to the officer in charge and was told "there's no one" and again was hung up on. After about an hour and a half of being in the house, my husband held a machete and I a rubber mallet for self defense.
We were prisoners in our own home as this man tormented us, threatened our lives and the police did not arrive for almost two hours after violence has ensued when this guy actually stoned me as I came out of the house. This led to my husband needing the beat this idiot and tie him until the police arrived which was at about 2:30 p.m.
My husband in his 53 years of life has never before this needed to hit anyone in self defense and has never in his life resorted to force of any kind. He is not proud of what he needed to do, as both of us hate violence of any kind, but I am proud of the fact that he came to my defense against this drunken person. We called the police as soon as the attack happened and told them that Carl was now tied up in our front yard and begged him to please come over!
The most hurtful thing though is that when they finally showed up and before they asked me any questions, or my husband, the officer pointed at me and said, "he can file charges against you". They did not interview my neighbors who witnessed his terroristic threats, and when my neighbors asked them if they wanted to talk to them they said, "No".
They did not ask me what happened, warned my husband that he can have charges filed against him. My husband immediately went to file a report, but was treated like he was the perpetrator of a crime instead of the peaceful man he is.
Today we went with our attorney to the police station. There he found out that they didn't get a statement from me even though I was attacked, and were charging Carl with only "harm" and will be charging my husband with assault!
Carl kept on saying that the police were "his friends" and they wouldn't do a thing. San Pedro has no police department. They proved that. If there are any honest caring officers in San Pedro, I wish they would speak up!
This man terrorized us for hours, threatened our lives, and then assaulted me in my own front yard and the police could have prevented the whole thing by responding to a call for help. Their attitude on the phone was disgusting, totally uninterested in helping, and negligent.
We have to face the fact that we need to arm ourselves for self defense, that there is corruption in the San Pedro Police. We were the victims of a frightening home invasion, and the police protect the criminals, and have no interest in serving the public and protecting their safety. I don't know
what can be done, but it is a disgrace that we have to hire an attorney with the little money we have to live on because the San Pedro Police is protecting their friend.
They asked what hand he used when used when he pointed at me and threatened, and one officer commented to the other, “Hey, Carl is right handed, isn't he?” I am asking for your help in resolving this matter. We are the victims of random violence by a drunken man and should not be subjected to be re-violated by the people whom we, maybe naively, thought should be protecting us.
My name is Mary Herbert
I live at 51 DFC in San Pedro
Comments
To the previous comment, it seems you have lost the whole point of this letter. Mary is clearly frustrated about the police who took ridiculously long to arrive at the incident. Second, the behavior upon arriving was completely unprofessional. Unless you were there and saw what happened, do not assume you know what you are saying. Whether Carl was victim or a perpetraor, the proper investigations did not follow. Hence, if you firmly believe Carl was the victim then I advise you to go ahead with Carl and press charges and see how far you get. . .And that is the point, with the police officers that we have on the island, justice seems unattainable at times, if not most of the time.
We happen to know the real story here and Mary continues to sensationalize the event to her benifit. She is talking about a beloved local man who has a gentle nature. Yes he was wrong in his approach for sure but these people went off their chain and beat the crap out of him. He was in no condition to defend himself. They would have recevied the same charges if they were in the states, which is why they tried to drag him into their yard after the tied him up and beat him. There are a small number of expats who have their nose so far in the air we are surprised they don't drown. Your in Belize stop thinking your superior because you are not. Did you ever stop to think maybe you disrespected this man to begin with? Something must have happened before this incident took place. This isn't a San Pedro Police issue it's a culture clash gone way wrong. He didn't have a weapon you did. I don't inderstand how all this bashing of the local people and the law enforcement will help you.
First of all Mary, let me introduce myself to you, I am a San Pedroano Woman. Appartently you seems to forget that their is two side to every story. I am appalled to the lenght that you are going to get your story heard. I have kept my mouth shut in respect to the VICTIM who is Carl and not you and your husband. I have seen a video, you and your husband had this poor guy tied up on the streets in front of HIS OWN HOME, NOT ON YOUR PROPERTY, as I understand Carl never went on your property.
This letter makes me so very sad. Mary, I am so sorry you and your husband suffered and that the police did nothing to help you.
Unfortunately the police are like this everywhere in Belize not just Ambergris Caye, 100% useless.
ABSOLUTELY APPAULING! What EVER became of the police investigations of the 2, VIOLENT, HOME INVASIONS, perpertrated, allegedly, by 3 DARK SKINNED, ARMED, indivuals, on 2 different, WHITE, EXPATS!? What about the investigation of the MURDER of the young lady who worked for the airline? The "POLICE" need to get off their DEAD butts, stop befriending local law breakers by turning a "BLIND EYE" to VIOLENT CRIMINALS and THEIVES and get out and PATROL the town instead of hanging out in front of the station, DOING NOTHING! If the "POLICE" WON'T do their job then, the PEOPLE need to form neighborhood watch groups, in ALL DISTRICTS, at ALL times of the DAY and NIGHT, to send a message to these CRIMINAL ELEMENTS that "WE ARE MAD AS HELL AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!
Post new comment
Recent News
Most Popular
Ambergris Caye Directory
Tours and AdventuresDaily Tours and Mainland Excursions offered by San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye tour operators.
It is good to see that some people who actually saw what happened are responding. Some people are very good at inventing, falsifying, and exagerating a story. There are many among us who go beyond their limits against the poor. We need to look out for each other.
If the drunken man was tied up infront of his own house, then there was no such thing as terifying as it is claimed in the article. The man was obviously so drunk and behaving disorderly in public that is why he was easily subdued. I worked as security guard at various resorts on this island and have seen many white, black, spanish men behaving disorderly when they get drunk. This is nothing unusual. It happens everywhere in the world. No one needs a firearm to kill a drunkard because they are unable to defend themselves and easily tied up as it was proven in this case.
Those who are asking for firearms to deal with such cases are extremists and have probably murdered poor people unnecessarilly before.
The police need to know the truth that is why they were asking which hand the drunkard pointed at someone's face. If it was indeed done, the complainant would definitely remember which hand it was, if the complainant was not also drunk. Pointing a hand or a finger at someone's face is not as terifying as a guided missile coming from one of the super powers.