President Piñera highlights new Police Modernization Law, which strengthens public order management and control: “We hope that together we make crime retreat and security advance”
The initiative has arisen from the National Public Security Agreement promoted by the government. It seeks to strengthen police institutions through measures that improve civil control over their management, and boost their integrity and accountability, thus reinforcing the link between the community and law enforcement.
The President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, announced the publication of the Police Modernization Law this Wednesday. The law boosts the institutional structure and strengthens the relationship between the Carabineros de Chile (uniformed police service) and the general public.
“We know how vital the work of the Carabineros and the Policía de Investigaciones (Investigative police service, PDI) is to safeguarding public order, protecting citizen security, and ensuring the rule of law and democracy,” the President stated at an event in the Estación Central district of Santiago. He was accompanied by Interior and Public Security Minister Rodrigo Delgado.
The law has arisen from the National Public Security Agreement and includes both Carabineros and the PDI. However, it strongly promotes reforming the Carabineros by focusing on four key areas: management modernization; institutional structure and governance; public order control; and careers and training.
“We shouldn’t just trust our police forces; we should also support them, as they do an extraordinarily difficult job. I’ve been able to see this throughout Chile; their work is a calling. They work with a level of commitment that really makes us proud,” the President added.
In the areas of management modernization, institutional structure and governance, the relationship between the police forces and the Government will be conducted through the Interior Undersecretary’s Office and not via police HQ, as has been the case until now. Furthermore, the Interior Ministry will draw up regulations for the evaluation and supervision of police management.
The initiative also incorporates mechanisms for auditing declarations of assets and interests, as well as the obligation to report administrative offenses, for which an internal control model for the prevention and control of improper conduct must be implemented.
There is also the obligation to prepare a Strategic Police Development Plan for at least the next six years, which will define guidelines for the deployment of the institution’s staff and resources, purchase and investment guidelines, and guidelines for updating them. These will be evaluated by the respective Police High Command and the Interior Undersecretary’s Office.
With regard to public order control, the new law establishes that the use of force in police action may be used only when strictly necessary and in the appropriate proportion, and that non-violent means must always be prioritized.
Finally, in relation to careers and training, the regulations establish that recruits must have high school education to be able to join the institutions. In addition, the Education Ministry has awarded official recognition to the Carabineros Training School and to the Chilean Policía de Investigaciones Professional Training Center.
“We hope that together we can break the cycle and make crime retreat and security advance,” the President concluded.