Friday 08 August
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Chinese Only Bidders For
3G Cellular Network
Security Minister Blames
Drugs For Country's
Insecurity
Only One Bidder
For the Liberia Airport Expansion
Isla del Coco To Get
Added Protection
No Water
For 200.000 in Santa Ana, Escazú and
Desamparados Tomorrow
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Security Minister Blames
Drugs For Country's
Insecurity
The ministra de
Seguridad Pública,
Jannina Del Vecchio,
blames the problems of
insecurity in the
country on drugs and
declares red alert for
consumption of crack.
Del Vecchio is
responding to results of
a poll by Demoscopía for
the Spanish daily, Al
Día, which indicated
there is an increase in
the feeling that the
government is doing a
"bad" job at solving the
security problem. The
poll shows that 42.1%
polled in July say the
government is not
handling the security
problem well, compared
to 31.5% in April, the
time when Del Vecchio
took over the post from
Fernando Berrocal, who
was fired.
"I form part of the
government and it is
natural for the public
to criticize the
inaction in some areas
and safety is very
recurring, but it is
clear that there is a
problem of insecurity",
said Del Vecchio.
The minister said that
the lack of prevention
of past administrations
is also the cause of
today's problems.
"The challenge is to get
Costa Ricans to believe
again in the police",
said Jannina.
The Demoscopía poll
indicates that 54% of
the 1.213 adults polled
in July did not see an
increase in police
presence on the streets.
The minister defended
the results by saying
that it is not easy that
police officials obey
orders, but with a
program of education,
discipline and hard
work, police work will
improve.
Under the country's
political constitution,
the Fuerza Pública is
the institution
responsible for
providing police
services.
The force has been under
heavy criticism in the
past. It is slowly
restructuring itself
with providing more
competent and trained
police officials,
officials who enter the
force as a career, a
move from the past of a
great part of the
officials being
politically appointed
with the start of a new
administration.
The Seguridad minister
points the finger at the
increase in drug
consumption, especially
the sale and consumption
of crack, as the main
problem that is causing
insecurity in the
country.
The consumption of crack
crosses social lines and
authorities estimate
that there exist some
200.000 users in the
country, half of which
are responsible for a
large part of the crimes
committed daily. |
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