|
Private Security Guards To
Assist in Policing, Security
Minister Announces Agreement
The Ministro de Seguridad,
Fernando Berrocal, said
yesterday that the plan to use
the co-operation of private
security guards to fight the
rise in crime, will not cost the
state one colon.
Berrocal said that the use of
18.000 private security agents
contracted by private security
companies are under a program of
"co-operation and agreement"
between the government and the
private companies and will
totally "gratis".
The minister explained that the
agreement is between the
government and Asociación
Nacional de Empresas de
Seguridad y Afines and the
Asociación Costarricense de
Empresas de Seguridad (ACES),
that employ some 18.000 agents
and have 600 vehicles at their
disposal.
Berrocal added that this is the
only way to combat the
delinquents and the insecurity
that is gripping the country.
"We have 9.795 police officials,
of which an average of 1.500 are
incapacitated, leaving only
8.295 officials providing
security for the entire country
of 4 million habitants and many
more visitors. What can we do
with that", said Berrocal.
The minister said that the
private security agents will be
assisting police in making
alerts to crimes, however, will
not be authorized to make
arrests, searches or closing of
streets, that is have powers of
a police officer.
"It is all about prevention.
They will assist in express
situations, not that they will
be patrolling the streets
freely", said the minister, who
assures that the private
security force is there to call
and assist police to their job.
Berrocal added that he will look
to expand the agreement with
collection and distribution
companies who have vehicles and
manpower all over the country,
especially with those companies
who use armed guards. "We have
also been proposed to use taxi
drivers and I think it is a good
idea", said the minister.
The objective of the minister is
to send a message to delinquents
that there are more than the
eyes of the police watching over
the security of the country.
|
|
