Public trust in Belize’s national police force is facing fresh pressure this June 2026, as a controversial promotion of an officer with documented violent conduct on camera has sparked widespread calls for transparency and accountability. The high-profile case centers on Corporal Wilbert Coc, who was recorded choking a woman in the town of Benque Viejo. Despite the viral video evidence capturing the altercation, Coc has been advanced to the rank of sergeant – a decision that has drawn fierce criticism from community groups and observers calling out the force’s purported zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence.
At a recent press briefing addressing growing scrutiny of multiple senior promotions, Police Commissioner Dr. Richard Rosado defended the controversial decision to promote Coc. Dr. Rosado explained that the woman involved in the incident made the personal choice not to file formal criminal charges against the officer. Instead of pursuing legal prosecution, she requested access to family counseling services to resolve the underlying conflict. Under existing departmental protocol, the commissioner noted, police cannot force an unwilling victim to move forward with legal action. Without a formal complaint or pending investigation, there is no legal barrier that would disqualify Coc from meeting promotion requirements, he argued.
The Coc promotion is not the only controversy putting the police’s promotion processes under the microscope. Multiple anonymous sources have raised allegations that a number of recent promotions went to officers who never completed the mandatory promotional examination required under the Police Act, the national legislation that governs personnel processes for the force. Questioned directly on these claims during the briefing, Dr. Rosado rejected the allegations entirely as unfounded misinformation.
He walked reporters through the full legislated promotion process to underscore its rigor: all applications are first open to eligible officers, then vetted by a specialized review committee, shortlisted candidates are required to pass a standardized promotional exam, and only top-performing candidates proceed to a final review by the promotional board. Every promotion approved in recent months has followed this process in full compliance with the Police Act, Dr. Rosado insisted, dismissing claims of skipped exams as “stupidity” with no basis in fact.
Commissioner Rosado also addressed a separate question regarding the recent transfer of Sergeant Obed Arzu from the Police Headquarters in Belmopan, which followed reports that Arzu was moved after a verbal dispute with a civilian official. Dr. Rosado clarified that all recent personnel transfers, including Arzu’s, were carried out based solely on operational needs and service priorities, rather than as a disciplinary response to the reported disagreement.
This controversy comes just two months after two separate domestic violence cases involving sitting police officers already triggered public outcry in April 2026. At that time, Dr. Rosado publicly reaffirmed the force’s commitment to accountability for officer misconduct, even as he noted that protocol prevents the department from taking punitive action when victims choose not to pursue formal prosecution. The latest promotion has renewed questions about how the force balances due process for officers with public expectations of accountability for violent behavior, particularly amid a stated zero-tolerance policy for domestic aggression.
This report is adapted from a verbatim transcript of a televised evening news broadcast, with all statements from speakers accurately preserved for publication.