Saturday, August 22, 2015. BMG: Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his Minister of State Santiago Castillo Jr have signed for a US$30 million loan with Armando Blanco, the Legal Representative of CABEI, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration for security initiatives.
The money will fund the Belize Integral Security Program which will strengthen citizen security by bolstering police, forensic service, coast guard and BDF infrastructure.
There will be improvement and construction of 7 police stations/substations and 4 barracks for police; construction and improvement of 30 barracks and dormitories for the BDF; 1 laboratory and 1 forensic medical unit for the Forensic Service; and 1 multipurpose building to conduct training and serve as a warehouse for the maintenance of the Coast Guard patrol boats, and a 137 meter marina also for the Coast Guard.
Equipment will also be acquired and this includes forensic laboratory equipment, two 26 meter patrol boats, 10 heavy lifting vehicles, 10 police cars, communication equipment, a complete surveillance system for Belize City (including a 911 system) and office equipment. The project will be executed by a special Unit under the Ministry of National Security.