How the Increase in Criminal Activity Affects Citizens

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Crime has been on the rise in Belize for the past several years, Belize remains a crime ridden country due to the extremely high murder rate per capita. Belize is officially the sixth most dangerous country in the world with an average of just over 39 homicides per 100,000 residents which were reported to the UN agency by the Organization of American States (OAS). Belize has the second highest murder rate in the Caribbean, the third in Central America, and the fifth in the Americas. Belize set a new national record for murders in 2009 and 2010. Gang violence, still largely confined to Belize City, is a significant contributor to the high murder rate. There were 125 murders recorded for 2011, four less than 2010, likely due to the gang truce in Belize City that began in September 2011. There was a Government of Belize (GOB)-supported gang truce, which was agreed to in September 2011, by all active gangs of Belize City which later dramatically reduced the number of homicides during the final four months of 2011. Due to the amount of criminal activity taken place in Belize City, it has changed drastically the way the society has gone about with their lives. Before people wouldn’t mind attending public functions in the city, taking their family out to parks, and other outdoor activities, but this steady increase in criminal activity has led people to be afraid to attend these functions since they can become a victim and a statistic. Due this rise in criminal activity the Belize City Council (C.I.T.C.O) has made it mandatory that all social night spots in Belize City be closed by 2:00 a.m. Other necessary steps are being taken by the Police Department to crack down on the criminal activities, and put those well known criminal elements away. By taking these necessary steps, there are some innocent people who get profiled because any one can be an element, they come

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