President of Chile at inauguration of National Cybercrime Headquarters: “In a State of Law, violence is unacceptable and must be tackled with the greatest determination”
This is the first facility that will accommodate all the units dedicated to prosecuting crimes committed through the internet. Among its main goals is the prevention of highly complex computer crimes, such as the sexual abuse of children and adolescents.
The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, together with the Director General of the Investigative Police Service (PDI), Sergio Muñoz, inaugurated the first PDI National Cybercrime Headquarters. It will allow the institution to implement a strategy to confront cybercrime.
The National Cybercrime Command – in charge of coordinating and promoting investigation strategies – and the Digital Forensic Department – in charge of digital evidence and forensic analysis – will work together at the facility.
The President stated, “we are redoubling our efforts to attack these new types of crimes and their root causes (…) with actions and resources.” He continued, “I see how the PDI is making a permanent effort to modernize, to take control of the challenges presented in these modern times; because, as we all know, crime and criminals are not static, they do not stand still, and we and the police have to be ready.”
The facility will also accommodate the Metropolitan Cybercrime Investigation Brigade, made up of the Computer and High Complexity Crime Investigation Team and the Online Sexual Abuse of Children and Adolescents Investigation Team (grooming, acquisition, commercialization, storage and distribution of child sexual abuse material).
President of Chile participates in inauguration of PDI National Cybercrime Headquarters
Investment in infrastructure is part of Law 21.459 on Computer Crimes, which focuses on the protection of digital assets and access through possible system vulnerabilities.
The President emphasized that “we are also interested in the perception of security. The fact that people may stop doing things because they are afraid forces us as a State to fulfil our duties much more forcefully,” because “in a State of Law, violence is unacceptable and must be tackled with the greatest determination. The police, both the Investigative Police Service (PDI) as well as the Uniformed Police Service (Carabineros de Chile), have our full support in this.”
The budget presented to Congress for 2023 includes measures to reinforce both police forces. More than 450 billion Chilean pesos (US$477 million) have been made available for the PDI, which will allow the institution to finance the Zero Micro-Trafficking Program, as well as replace 113 police vehicles.
Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, Justice Minister Marcela Ríos, the President of the Senate, Álvaro Elizalde, the President of the Supreme Court, Juan Eduardo Fuentes, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Raúl Soto, the Governor of the Metropolitan Region, Claudio Orrego and the Mayor of Huechuraba, Carlos Cuadrado, were also at the inauguration.
Source: Presidency Press