Regional Gang Crackdowns Push Criminals Elsewhere -

PRAY WITH US about regional gang crackdowns, that God will:

Search out the main movers, human and demonic, in gangs in the Caribbean and Latin America. Show them His ultimate authority and judgment over their lives. Then let grace their fears relieve, if they abandon gang lordship and receive His Lordship. But bring swift justice on them if they refuse Him.
Console those who have lost loved ones on both sides of the conflict. Move them to turn to Christ and find His protection and direction. Also to send great waves of the Holy Spirit to overcome these waves of crime. And build up the churches to be lights to the world and increasingly drive the darkness away.
Show police forces how to identify the crimes and criminals quickly. Encourages witnesses to provide clear evidence so that evils and evildoers face true justice. And do not allow authorities to impose unnecessary and oppressive controls.
For Haiti, to restore order one street and neighborhood at a time. Raise up those who exercise spiritual authority as well as those who exercise police authority. So that people may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

PRAYER ALERT: Regional Gang Crackdowns Push Criminals Elsewhere

Sometimes a police state arises from a groundswell of crime, not from top-down oppression. Such appears to be the case not only in El Salvador, but also Honduras, Guatemala and Jamaica. Recently Jamaica’s PM Andrew Holness said that Jamaicans “have to hide under their beds, hide their daughters, can’t go to church. And they see their sons and their boyfriends and husbands killed.” Therefore he gone as far as to authorize searching people and buildings without a warrant.

El Salvador police have gone even further. They are busting down MS-13 marked tombstones to take back territory seized by MS-13 gangs. Such extreme tactics in a 9-month-long “state of exception” have resulted in a big drop in homicides. Now neighboring Honduras has imposed its own state of exception. Also, Guatemala is now considering declaring a similar state of exception or emergency. With drug cartel domination of many parts of Mexico, the whole region has become less stable.

Consequently, in the midst of the above five countries, Belize is taking stern measures. For example, it has extradited some MS-13 and other gang elements back to their country of origin. And it has threatened 10-year jail sentences for those charged as members of a local MS-13 branch.

New challenges like these are factoring into Belize’s new Rethinking Police Management program. Specifically, it is surveying the public on how to make the police department more efficient. Pray that this wave of lawlessness does not take us prematurely into an Antichrist-type police state.

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