Chile. The Government of Chile announced the new National Public Security Plan , which was presented by the President, Gabriel Boric, and which proposes more than 33 specific measures for institutional strengthening and governance in the field of public security, crime prevention, improving available information, protecting and accompanying victims of crime, persecution of organized crime, arms control and recovery of public spaces.
This presentation was also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Izkia Siches, and the main judicial, criminal prosecution, police and public sector authorities with interference in security matters in the country.
Minister Izkia Siches, explained that the plan was made based on a diagnosis that was built with the close collaboration of mayors, "attending to territorial priorities such as border crimes in the north of our country; violent robberies in urban areas; the particularities of how drug trafficking networks behave in northern, central and southern Chile; the worrying rise in gun crime; or the necessary measures to address cases of domestic violence".
In that sense, the President explained that this plan comes to update the existing ones, so that they adapt to the current situation: "Today we have the duty to update it, because the country has changed a lot and crime has changed. As I have said throughout this tour to Arica, we will not allow crime to continue to grow and gain space."
Main axes of the plan
Administrative and legislative matters
In administrative and legislative matters, the impulse to the creation of the Ministry of Security with the entry during the month of July of indications for its processing, advance in the Reform to Carabineros, reform the Organic Law of Municipalities to strengthen the role of the municipalities in security, promote the Law of Private Security and create a new National Policy of Public Security that establishes a country route in this matter for the next 10 years.
Crime prevention
In the field of Crime Prevention, it seeks to move towards a common preventive minimum in all the communes of the country, to reduce the existing inequalities between municipalities in financial, operational and infrastructure matters for crime prevention and security. To this end, a National Municipal Security System is created as a stable support mechanism for them and aimed at strengthening their capacities.
Redistribution of police resources
In addition, a redistribution of police resources will be implemented, a Strategic Action Center for the Prevention of Homicides will be formed to strengthen coordinated work in this area, and operational working groups will be created for public-private coordination in security, in addition to the incorporation of principles of gender equity in security, among other subjects.
Improved crime reporting
Likewise, measures will be adopted to improve information on crimes, reviewing and updating the so-called "Crimes of Major Social Connotation" with new criminal typologies and specific groups of analysis, and the National Urban Survey of Citizen Security (ENUSC) will be modernized and improved.
Victim protection
In the area of victim protection and human rights, the Comprehensive Support Service for Victims of Crime will be created, the number of care centres for victims of crime will be expanded, and services for victims of domestic violence will be expanded.
National Policy against Organized Crime
As for the fight against organized crime, a National Policy against Organized Crime is created to combat these organizations head-on and disrupt their networks, confiscate their capital assets and destroy their logistics. To this end, the financial intelligence system will be strengthened and intersectoral coordination will be worked on.
Gun Control
In the area of arms control, a 7-dimensional plan is proposed, which considers: strengthening criminal prosecution; control of arms and ammunition; the creation of systems for their traceability; improve the control of weapons held by the State, strengthen border control and financial intelligence, which seeks to improve the records of information of interest groups. With regard to State arms, it was established that each branch of the armed institutions will form a register of the weapons and ammunition under its charge, in addition to a review and updating of precautionary protocols and procedures for the elimination of weapons.
Public Order and recovery of spaces
Additionally, the plan contemplates a series of measures of public order and recovery of public spaces, with actions for the police and criminal prosecution of gangs and criminal organizations behind smuggling and illicit trade in public spaces, among others.
"The measures are inefficient"
Felipe Martínez, Advisor in matters inherent to Private Security, Expert in Security Analysis, legal and strategic advice in matters of security, surveillance and protection, told Ventas de Seguridad "that this initiative is a great advance but the measures are insufficient given the current scenario".
He says that in the area of private security, at least in this text, there is no real strengthening of security co-production from the perspective of security itself, that is, the measures focus on oversight and regulation, rather than on the contribution and attributions.
Felipe also described some important points that they consider necessary in this project:
- Strengthening the powers of private security as a co-producer of public security.
- Increased penalties for crimes committed against private security components in the performance of their duties.
- The creation of the Superintendence of Private Security as the sole governing body and supervisor of private security activity and auxiliary bodies (carabineros and PDI).
- Private Security civil servant career project, beyond the national registry of guards and civil servants.
Finally, Felipe assures that from the Association of Private Security Professionals they will promote active participation "to contribute and achieve a modern Private Security Law with a permanent institutionality, which allows to be an efficient and effective complement to the Public Security of Chile".
Download the document by clicking here.
