By Belize Live News Staff: Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has announced that Belize’s police officers will soon be equipped with pepper ball guns — a tool designed to help de-escalate tense encounters without resorting to deadly force.
The initiative comes with the donation of 50 pepper ball guns from Lord Michael Ashcroft, following a request from the commissioner. These non-lethal devices function similarly to paintball guns but discharge pepper-spray-infused projectiles that burst on contact, temporarily disabling aggressive individuals without long-term harm.
Williams explained that the guns will be deployed across the force in the coming 2 to 3 weeks, and officers will undergo training to ensure they understand how to effectively and responsibly use the equipment. He described the tool as a much-needed addition to the police’s resources for managing confrontations with minimal injury to civilians.
