Belize City, Belize – August 26th, 2015 –  The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) presented the Tourism Police Unit (TPU) with five (5) Yamaha XTZ125 CC trailbikes and twenty eight (28) handheld radios to assist the TPU in carrying out its mandate, which is to enforce tourism legislation and safeguard the tourism industry.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., did the handing over.
The trailbikes are designated for the Tourism Police Formation in Hopkins Village, Orange Walk, Ambergris Caye, Cayo, and Belize City. Hopkins Village has popular sites nearby such as Mayflower Bocawina National Park and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. The motorcycle will assist greatly in Orange Walk, as the TPU does not have any form of transportation at the moment. Northern Ambergris Caye is not easily accessible, therefore a trailbike will allow for the deployment of the TPU and rapid response capabilities. The Cayo district is a large stretch of land rich with diverse activities and ecotourism, therefore this trailbike is much needed. In Belize City, patrols are needed to ensure that only licensed operators are taking guests on tours and to increase police visibility to deter criminal activity in the Fort Street Tourism Zone.
The 28 handheld radios are intended to improve communication between the TPU officers patrolling in the respective destinations countrywide and the police stations to whom they report. Corozal Town, Orange Walk Town, San Ignacio Town, Benque Viejo Town, Punta Gorda Town, Caye Caulker Village, Nohoch Che’en Archaeological Reserve (Caves Branch), Caracol Archaeological Reserve, Hopkins, and Placencia Village will now have enhanced communication. Belize City also received radios, being the hub for cruise tourism and ground transportation into the country, as well as water taxi connections to the cayes. The BTB has also equipped the Caye Caulker Police Station with a base radio to be used in communication with the handheld radios that the Caye Caulker TPU have received. A mobile radio has also been donated to the TPU and is presently housed in the vehicle assigned to the unit.
For more information, please contact the Director of Destination Planning and Cruise, Mr. Valdemar Andrade, at 227-2420.
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