Support for Carabineros, without fine print

El Líbero, October 15, 2022

Carabineros detain 550,000 people each year, yet they experience a sense of frustration reflected in the words of the General Director: “We detain them, and they are back on the street.”

We had to reach the regrettable figure of 7 Carabineros killed and 15 injured per day to begin serious discussions about security and finally place that police institution at the center of the debate. This government arrived at La Moneda with a discourse based on the re-founding, a narrative that only continued to damage the morale of those officials who risk their lives daily to protect ours. The image of the week is that of Suboficial Mayor Carlos Retamal mortally wounded in a clandestine race in San Antonio. 

Crime emerges as the top priority for Chileans, who are calling for more Carabineros in practically every corner of the country. Authorities have resorted to deploying more police in certain streets of Santiago to address public security issues, announced increased budgets for these matters, and are now discussing a cross-party legislative agenda. However, none of this will be sufficient if they do not provide the strong and clear support that the police need to do their job. The responsibility for public security lies with the Minister of the Interior, who must design the best strategy to face new challenges and lead the institutions that will implement it. The public security chain has several links that must integrate into a coordinated effort to achieve successful results. The police make arrests, while the courts pursue and punish. The problem is the infamous revolving door. 

Carabineros detain 550,000 people each year, yet they experience a sense of frustration reflected in the words of the General Director: “We detain them, and they are back on the street.” We need consistency between actions and narrative. We cannot ask for more without supporting those we are asking it from, and that support must be without fine print. Providing support to Carabineros to combat crime while asserting that this must occur within the framework of respect for Human Rights, as the president stated this week, is not real support.

First, the support is not for the work of Carabineros, but for the police institution. We thank them for their work, an infinite thanks, for despite the frustration they may feel, they continue to protect us every day. There is also no need to mention Human Rights; it was unnecessary. 

It is time for our authorities to take security seriously, to set ideology aside for once, and to prioritize citizens. If they are going to support our Carabineros, they should do so genuinely, without fine print, strong and clear. 

The political leaders of public security must rise to the occasion. They are no longer on the streets; they are not student leaders. Today, they are in La Moneda and leading a country that, thanks to the work of committed police, has distinguished itself by its levels of development. 

Let us start with what is important, the value of Carabineros de Chile, and for that, the sometimes-blinding ideology of our authorities does not help much. 

Pilar Lizana  

Researcher, AthenaLab
Source:

El Líbero.