The Government signs National Agreement for Public Safety bills
President Sebastián Piñera, along with the Interior, Health, Defense and Justice Ministers, today signed five agreements on public safety to fight crime and provide security to all Chileans.
This Tuesday, November 6, the first five bills were signed to give shape to the proposals in the National Agreement for Public Safety, which aims to modernize the fight against crime.
These bills are designed to make progress with an objective that the Government has had since its first day in office: having efficient crime fighting tools that will make it possible to provide safer and more peaceful conditions for the people of Chile.
To that end, the President along with the Interior, Defense, Justice and Health Ministers came together at La Moneda Palace to sign five bills that give shape to the proposals for the National Agreement for Public Safety.
In his address, the President said, “it is clear that our country urgently needs more modern and efficient institutions that operate transparently, are accountable to the authorities, Congress and the public, and act with the same sense of urgency felt by the hundreds of Chilean families affected by this drama.”
The following agreements were signed:
1. Modernization of the police forces
The investigations (PDI) and uniformed (Carabineros) police forces will be subject to an evaluation and monitoring system that aims to better serve the needs of the community, distribute police resources more effectively and use indicators to assess efficiency.
2. Transparent performance and functions
The uniformed and investigations police forces will submit annual institutional performance reports. Furthermore, a system for reporting abuses by police officers will be set up.
Statistical and institutional data will be produced and published on a quarterly basis and made available to the public on the websites of both police forces.
Similarly, both institutions will create a model for preventing and controlling improper conduct, such as a lack of probity.
3. Modernization of the State intelligence system
An Advisory Council will be created and a National Strategy developed in order to prevent new security threats, like organized crime, terrorism, drug, human or migrant trafficking, cybercrime and attacks on the State’s critical infrastructure.
4. Restructuring the weapons control system
Measures are to be implemented to increase the oversight and registration of the weapons in circulation.
The “Entrega tu arma” (Surrender your weapon) initiative aims to help regulate firearms that for one reason or another are in the hands of people who do not have a license to carry them.
Likewise, modifying the Weapons Control law will increase supervision, raise firearm ownership requirements and apply stricter and more effective controls on firearm ownership, ensuring more responsible ownership.
5. Expanding the local public security role of municipalities and the public
The role of the Municipal Counsel on Public Security will be strengthened, along with its coordinated work with police and the community.
Furthermore, duly qualified municipal employees will be made available to support the uniformed police in traffic management and protecting victims of domestic violence in order to free up police resources and have more officers on the street protecting our citizens.
To close, the President emphasized that the enactment of this bill would “generate fruitful results that will enable us to achieve our common goal: “to give our fellow citizens the right to live more peacefully, calmly and safely and with greater liberty and happiness, not just at home, but also on the streets, in the plazas and in public places.”