Special Constable Program

A program specifically suited to fit the needs of the residents of San Pedro will be implemented and delivered through O.I.C. Arnold and Sgt. Wade respectfully with the assistance of all Neighborhood Watch Presidents and Officers for Special Constables. The program is strictly voluntary and participants would donate the hours that they feel comfortable with and will not be expected to work a required amount of hours.

The cost of the Special Constable Program to qualified candidates is FREE. The Police Department and your local Neighborhood Watch Organizations will sponsor the classes.

A “Special Constable “ would be the eyes, ears and helping hands of the Police Dept. to help the community control crime in our neighborhoods. Constables would have the same legal obligations and authority to enforce the Laws of the Country of Belize.

Interested persons wanting to become Special Constables would be trained to assist in the daily activities required for crime prevention, investigation and documentation by the San Pedro Police Department.

The goal of the program is to provide a condensed ONE DAY training session on Sunday, July 20, 2008, at the San Pedro High School starting at 8:00a.m. and ending at 4:00p.m.

Special Constable Applicants will be required to submit an application through the Police Department for review, a Police Records Check, a personal interview called a vetting and investigation. The San Pedro Police Department shall provide the required applications and applicants shall be held to the same standards and background investigation as the professional Police. Applicants are required to be residents or have a current work permit and be residing locally. Special Constables are not required to purchase, license or carry a firearm.

Ambergris Caye Education & Support (A.C.E.S.) will provide the training materials outlined by Sgt. Wade to the North Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch (N.A.CN.W.); President Scott Harnish is to distribute the materials to all qualified applicants prior to a scheduled training date. Training materials will be available on paper, data disc or e-mail. All are encouraged to use electronic transmission to save on printing cost.

Constables will be trained in Report Writing, Legal Powers of Arrest, Methods of Search, Constitutional Rights of all Citizens, and Self Defense. With all applicants being accepted and provided training materials for study and review in advance of the training date, the ultimate goal is to complete the required training in one day.

Interested candidates can contact their local neighborhood watch president or Scott Harnish at 226-3111 or fyrnspector@yahoo.com