Citation

Hanson R, Warchol G, Zupan L. Police Pract. Res. 2004; 5(3): 241-257.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/156142604200227585

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Of late, little attention has been paid by criminologists to the nature of crime and the criminal justice systems in the countries of Central America. Given its many natural attractions, favorable exchange rate, and proximity to the USA, the small Central American nation of Belize is striving to become a tourist destination. However, Belize is also beset with a very high crime rate—a function of a myriad of social, political, and economic problems and challenges. Yet, there are no studies of crime and criminal justice in this nation. This research makes a new contribution to the literature by reporting the results of an exploratory field research study on the state of crime and policing in the former British colony of Belize. The study has two major objectives. The first is to describe the structure, function, and state of the Belize National Police and the second is to identify the extent and causes of crime in Belize.