Private Security Officials To Formally Join Police Crime Prevention Program
The Ministerio de Seguridad Pública announced yesterday that it has reached an agreement with private security companies in the fight against rising crime in the country.

The agreement, which will be signed next week, will produce an alliance between the Fuerza Pública (police) and some 18.000 private security agents in what is being called a preventive campaign in the fight against crime.

The Fuerza Pública as at present time only 8.000 officers to patrol and serve the entire country.

The police force will soon have the support of the 18.000 officials of the private security companies who are members of the sociación Nacional de Empresas de Seguridad y Afines and the Asociación Costarricense de Empresas de Seguridad (ACES).

Seguridad Pública minister, Fernando Berrocal, was clear that the alliance is to use the private security agents to help the police keep an eye on criminal activity, who will report suspicious movements or activity to police and that only the police will make arrests and investigate crimes.

Most of the security companies already have a direct line to police to report criminal activity against their clients. That direct communication with the police is an important tool for the private security companies to alert police now on any criminal or suspicious activity, according to Seguridad official.

In addition, Berrocal confirmed that his ministry will sign a similar agreement with the 16 banks and 10 distribution companies that will add another 4.000 people and 2.000 vehicles to the prevention program.

The banks set up an independent and private security network to respond to bank assaults when the Fuerza Pública became ineffective in curbing bank robberies several years ago.

The minister cited the attempted robbery of the Banco Popular in downtown San José last week, where private security working with the Fuerza Pública were able to foil the attempt and arrest the bank robbers, as proof that the alliance can work.

Minister Berrocal stressed that the private security officials will not have police powers, they will simply act as eyes and ears for the police.

The pact, however, has raised some doubts, especially in Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) legislator, Elizabeth Fonseca, who worries that a majority of the private security officials are "foreigners" and many don't know the difference between a "military and police" force.

For his part, José Merino, legislator for the Frente Amplio party, expressed concern since there is no control in place for private security companies and officials.

Minister Berrocal has held meetings this week with the leaders of the different parties of the Legislative Assembly to explain the agreement and to explain that the "Ley de servicios privados de seguridad" authorizes private security companies to work with the police in crime prevention.