Former Police Commissioner Chester Williams Reflects on Murder of Tyrone Meighan, Calls for Mentorship

Former Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, has spoken out on the recent murder of Tyrone Meighan, offering a personal and poignant reflection on the case. In an interview today, Williams shared that while Meighan was a well-known street figure, his death still resonates deeply within the law enforcement community. Williams, who has long been known for his hands-on approach and work with high-risk individuals, said expressed that despite their background, the community needs to take more responsibility for the individuals through forms of mentorship. Williams went on to encourage others to step up and invest in the lives of at-risk youth. 

Chester Williams, Former Commissioner of Police: “I do empathize with his mother and his family as I would normally do when any of the  young men are killed. You know, at the end of the day, you’ll realize that we work so much with these young men that we feel that they are part of us and when they are killed we feel it because we have spent so much time with them, we have invested time and energy and money into them.  And so when  they die on our streets, it’s really hard for us. Brother Nuri, Brother Footy, Brother Sticks, you know you speak to them they will tell you that we take it hard too. But we do understand the nature of how the street works. Sometimes we are only delaying the inevitable because of the lifestyle that they live. May I make it categorically and impartially clear? I favored none of the groups in Belize today. I worked with every one of them the same way. And I have always tried my utmost best, whether in my capacity as OCED then, or as Commissioner of Police, to do as best as I can  to preserve the lives of our young men on our streets. And if that required me to work overtime with them in providing guidance and mentorship to them, I do that.  At the end of the day we’re speaking about saving lives. And I believe that as a  society we should all have that same goal to try as best as we can to save our young people.”

Meighan’s murder adds to a string of violent incidents in Belize City.