BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC) — The Belize police have blamed gang violence for the increase in murders here this year.

So far 135 people have been killed surpassing the 2015 figure and just shy of the 2012 record of 145 murders.

Police commissioner Allen Whylie told reporters that while law enforcement authorities will enter 2017 determined to reduce the number of murders in the country, many of the murders “have not only been heinous but senseless.

“To my recollection we are at, I believe, 135 murders, which is not where we would have wanted to be, and not where we had expected we would be at the end of December; we still have another week to go and that figure could change.

“I can tell you that many of the murders, especially of recent, have not only been heinous but senseless. We’ve had murders between friends drinking; we’ve had murders between friends speaking about religion; we’ve had persons people entering houses and senselessly shooting persons and those kinds of murders are difficult to prevent.”

The police commissioner said that during the Christmas season “we have stepped up our various patrols along the highways and in Belize City; the officers can be seen, they have made a dent, I believe, in the level of crime.

“But, as I have always indicated, as police we have always got to be right, and all that is required is a split second for the criminal to get an opportunity. And so we will continue to strategize; next year we will be introducing some additional strategies which will be shared with the public and I am certain that those should make a difference once again.”