Web Review:
THE ISLAND OF IMPUNITY: PRPD IN CRISIS
News Review:
Catholic bishops conflicted over gays, immigration - Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
News Review: Catholic bishops conflicted over gays, immigration
News Review:
Catholic bishops conflicted over gays, immigration - Wednesday, February 06, 2013
2.6.13 - THE ISLAND OF IMPUNITY: PRPD IN CRISIS - WEB REVIEW: The New York Times: Justice Dept. and Puerto Rico Agree to Overhaul the Island’s Troubled Police Force | The agreement follows a 116-page report: “The degree of police corruption and criminal misconduct in Puerto Rico is high and contributes to the public safety and civil rights crisis,” the report said. “More P.R.P.D. officers are involved in criminal activity than in any other major law enforcement agency in the country.” | 4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid evidence-planting probe - AP | New Federal Resources for Puerto Rico to Combat Drug-Related Violence - Puerto Rico Report | New FBI chief named for PR, USVI - By CB Online Staff | Island of Impunity: Puerto Rico's Outlaw Police Force - ACLU
Last Update: 2.12.13
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ACLU REPORT SAYS 1700 PUERTO RICAN POLICE OFFICERS ARE CRIMINALS
Published on Jul 8, 2012
1,700 Cops arrested in Puerto Rico !
FBI ARREST CORRUPT POLICE OFFICERS IN PUERTO RICO
Police Brutality Against Journalists in Puerto Rico
Uploaded on Sep 8, 2011
February 7, 2013
A radical turn to the justice system
In the midst of a security crisis, and the worst figures in the investigation and criminal prosecution, all components of the justice system-police, courts and Justice Department-must make a radical shift in its operation to achieve a climate of security to replace the prevailing climate of impunity.
And the sense of impunity that has demoralized and frightened society is based on poor record in solving crimes and in the low level of pay punitive perpetrators given in the three areas of criminal justice.
If we consider, first, the Department of Justice, there is a drastic reduction in the productivity of agency staff, which translates into reductions of more than 20 percent in the filing of serious criminal cases, and 30 in the least serious.
In other words, although we feel firsthand the increasing crime wave, which in 2011 reached record figures, with 1.136 violent deaths, and not declined much in 2012, are fewer cases reach the courts and resolved to the satisfaction of the public, sometimes for incompetence in presenting and other incriminating evidence, for unexplained lenient sentences or unexplained transactions that effectively deny the obvious punishment enough criminals returning to the streets.
Clearly, the key to the problem is budget cuts, which, over a period of five years, have forced Justice to work with $ 106 million less, which is one of the points that are to be valued.
To this must be added the decline in the quality of work of the police, resulting, among other reasons, the incentive plan straight early withdrawals of Law 7, which allowed officers with 15 years of service to retire with half pay. Result: 2,111 policemen accepted the agreement, 10% of the force, and had to replace those who are retiring and hiring new staff, with much less experience, because these vacancies could not be frozen, as was the original purpose for being essential public service, generating, in many cases, a dual dispensing wages.
A drain that has been combined with a persistent reduction in the budget, for example, in the investigative branch of the police, in 2010-2011 lost $ 26 million compared to previous years.
And although the budget factor is of great caliber, is palpable that for lack of a real counterweight administrative ethics and integrity, the scales of justice in Puerto Rico is inclined side while impunity, something to be overcome by adopting measures urgent, and redefining the responsibilities of each body dedicated to the fight against crime.
To achieve this downsizing, it is essential to provide each agency fiscally budget rationally required to meet its mission with guarantees.
Second, it is imperative to place the fight against crime at the heart of all the accomplishments of law and order, giving priority to fight, first street and then in court, criminal activity.
And third, but no less important, the three estates constituting justice, Department of Justice, Police and courts are obliged peremptorily put its house in order, not only as to regain his philosophical view, but in terms of administration resources, redirect their operation and become a coordinated network that aims to simplify and maximize the efficiency of their procedures.
It's time to make sense of the justice system, and refocus with inescapable maturity transformation.
The agreement follows a 116-page report:
In a 116-page report that officials intend to make public Thursday, the civil rights division of the Justice Department accused the Puerto Rico Police Department of systematically “using force, including deadly force, when no force or lesser force was called for,” unnecessarily injuring hundreds of people and killing “numerous others.”
The report, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, says the 17,000-officer force routinely conducts illegal searches and seizures without warrants. It accuses the force of a pattern of attacking nonviolent protesters and journalists in a manner “designed to suppress the exercise of protected First Amendment rights.”
And it says investigators “uncovered troubling evidence” that law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico appear to routinely discriminate against people of Dominican descent and “fail to adequately police sex assault and domestic violence” cases — including spousal abuse by fellow officers.
“Unfortunately,” the report found, “far too many P.R.P.D. officers have broken their oath to uphold the rule of law, as they have been responsible for acts of crime and corruption and have routinely violated the constitutional rights of the residents of Puerto Rico.”
The report is likely to intensify a sense of distress among the nearly four million American citizens who live on Puerto Rico, where violent crime has spilled into well-to-do areas. While violent crime has plummeted in most of the mainland United States, the murder rate in Puerto Rico is soaring. In 2011, there have been 786 homicides — 117 more than at this point last year.
Rather than helping to solve the crime wave, the Puerto Rico Police Department is part of the problem, the report contends. In October, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested 61 officers from the department in the largest police-corruption operation in bureau history. And the arrest of Puerto Rican police officers, the report says, is hardly rare.
From January 2005 to November 2010, it said, there were more than 1,709 such arrests for offenses “ranging from simple assault and theft to domestic violence, drug trafficking and murder.” During a comparable period, the New York Police Department, with a force about twice the size, had about 607 such arrests.
“The degree of police corruption and criminal misconduct in Puerto Rico is high and contributes to the public safety and civil rights crisis,” the report said. “More P.R.P.D. officers are involved in criminal activity than in any other major law enforcement agency in the country.”
A “finding” by the civil rights division of a pattern or practice of constitutional violations by a police department is a precursor to a lawsuit, which either goes to trial or, if the local authorities agree to changes, may be settled on the day it is filed. The division has 17 such investigations open, including in New Orleans, Newark and Seattle.
Its investigation of the Puerto Rico police, which began in July 2008, resulted in one of the most extensive such critiques the department has ever produced. It condemns nearly every aspect of the force — its hiring and training practices, the way it assigns and promotes officers, and its policies governing officer behavior and accountability for misconduct.
The report recommends 133 remedial measures that would amount to a sweeping intervention. It is likely to create a political headache for Puerto Rico’s governor, Luis G. Fortuño, a Republican who took office in 2009 and, as chief executive, oversees the department.
Mr. Fortuño has been criticized for his administration’s handling of a series of mostly nonviolent demonstrations by students and workers to protest higher university fees and government layoffs. Riot police hit protesters, bystanders and journalists with batons and used pepper spray and choke holds, in incidents that were videotaped and are discussed in the report.
Two months ago, Mr. Fortuño named a new police superintendent, Emilio Díaz Colón, a former National Guard adjutant general. During his confirmation, Mr. Díaz said he would not shy away from doing what was necessary to “convert the Puerto Rican police into an example of a disciplined, effective” force, but also said he did not plan any immediate major changes.
“We all recognize that there have been challenges at the Police Department that pre-date the governor’s administration,” Edward Zayas, a spokesman for Mr. Fortuño, said on Wednesday. “The governor has always acknowledged that the Puerto Rico Police Department needs reforms. However, he did not wait for any report from the D.O.J. in order to act.”
The Justice Department began the investigation in part due to complaints by the American Civil Liberties Union. In June, when President Obama visited the island, the A.C.L.U. sent him a letter contending that the police had “engaged in a level of brutality against U.S. citizens” with a degree of impunity that “would not be tolerated in the 50 states.”
While the report said Puerto Rican officials cooperated with the investigation, it was hindered by poor record-keeping. For example, the Puerto Rico Police Department reported 39 rapes last year — a figure the report portrays as unbelievable because nearly every other jurisdiction has far more rapes than murders.
The report focused on the “rampant” use of “unnecessary or gratuitous” force, a problem made worse by the use of tactical units — heavily armed officers who are poorly trained and steeped in “violent subcultures” — for ordinary police work. It says such units frequently “rely on intimidation, fear and extreme use of force to manage crowds and are often deployed to low-income and minority communities on routine patrols.”
The report also recounts many “illustrative incidents” and includes a nine-page appendix listing dozens more. One example it said exemplified “many of the deep-rooted deficiencies that continue to plague P.R.P.D.” was the killing of Cáceres Cruz in August 2007 by a tactical unit officer.
Mr. Cruz was directing traffic near a birthday party when three officers drove by and thought he had insulted them. They told Mr. Cruz he was under arrest and wrestled him to the ground, during which time one officer shot himself in the leg.The officer then repeatedly shot Mr. Cruz, who was lying on the ground, in his head and body before they drove off. An internal investigation cleared them of misconduct. But after a video of the incident surfaced in the news media, one officer was convicted of murder. It emerged that seven complaints had been filed against him, but had been largely ignored.
“The tragic events surrounding the Cáceres Cruz shooting served as a stark reminder of P.R.P.D.’s institutional dysfunction,” the report said.
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Puerto Rico’s police force is the second largest in U.S. states and territories, second in size only to that of New York City. The Puerto Rican police force includes more than 17,000 officers.
Puerto Rico has a high level of violent crime, largely as a result of its position as a largely undefended border used in the drug trade with the United States.
Unfortunately, Puerto Rico also has a history of problems within its police force. The U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a report in September that identified a pattern of civil rights violations, and followed up last week with a lawsuit.
Former Governor Fortuno did not contest the lawsuit and instead created an agreement with the Justice Department that gives new Governor Padilla time to review the recommendations and make any changes his government requires.
The agreement calls for extensive reforms, as well as improved training for law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico.
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The government of Puerto Rico and the US Justice Department signed a 106-page agreement on Dec. 21 for reforming the island’s 17,000-member police department. The reforms are intended to address numerous police abuses detailed in a September 2011 Justice Department report; the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued its own report on abuses in June 2012 [see World War 4 Report 9/10/11 and 6/25/12]. The Justice Department also filed a lawsuit requiring the Puerto Rican government and police department to comply with the Justice Department’s earlier directives, but this was considered a legal formality, since the agreement apparently represents the compliance the US was seeking.
The Justice Department negotiated the agreement with Puerto Rican governor Luis Fortuño and Police Superintendent Héctor Pesquera, but Fortuño will not be implementing it. Alejandro García Padilla, who defeated Fortuño in a Nov. 6 election [see Update #1151], will start his four-year term on Jan. 2, and he has hinted that he may replace Pesquera. The Justice Department gave the Puerto Rican government until Apr. 15 to implement the accord in order to give the new administration time to review its provisions. (El Nuevo Día (Guaynabo) 12/21/12, 12/23/12; Associated Press 12/22/12 via Arizona Daily Star)
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puerto rico police department - GS
puerto rico police - GS
puerto rico police corruption - GS
Police Abuse In Puerto Rico
Police Brutality Against Journalists in Puerto Rico
ACLU REPORT SAYS 1700 PUERTO RICAN POLICE OF…
0:18Police open fire on Students in Puerto Rico
Topic - Puerto Rico Police - YouTube
héctor pesquera - GS
Crime in Puerto Rico
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico’s police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man’s car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon.
Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he analyzed video from a private security camera posted on YouTube.
Police spokeswoman Michelle Franco said Wednesday that two of the officers were suspended without pay.
The officers had arrested three men in the case on Jan. 25. The charges were dropped after a defense attorney submitted the video during a court hearing.
The investigation comes after the Puerto Rican government recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to reform an agency long accused of corruption, illegal killings and civil rights violations.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Anti-gay hate crimes are rampant on the island, which has a population of 3.5 million, about the size of Connecticut. Nearly two dozen members of the LGBT community were murdered in Puerto Rico between 2009 and 2011 alone: Pedro Julio Serrano: "Unteaching" an Island - abcnews.go.com
Anti-gay hate crimes are rampant
on the island, which has a population of 3.5 million, about the size of
Connecticut. Nearly two doz...
Feb 11, 2013
Pedro Julio Serrano: "Unteaching" an Island - ABC News
Pedro Julio Serrano: "Unteaching" an Island |
via Caribbean Business on 2/11/13
FBI probing corruption cases in PRThe FBI is actively investigating public corruption in Puerto Rico and will cont ...FBI probing corruption cases in PR
By CB Online Staff
The FBI is actively investigating public corruption in Puerto Rico and will continue to make such cases a priority, the federal agency’s new chief in the U.S. Caribbean territories said Monday.
“I can’t go into specific details about the investigations or who is under investigation,” Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases said. “What I can say is that we are investigating public corruption at all levels.”
Cases’ comments came during a press conference at FBI headquarters in San Juan where he outlined his agenda as head of the agency in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “I have established public corruption and violent crimes as the investigative priorities of our office,” he said. Cases, a 21-year FBI veteran, was named last week to oversee FBI operations in both U.S. territories, becoming the third Puerto Rican to hold the post after Héctor Pesquera (the current Puerto Rico police chief) and Luis Fraticelli. “I am concerned by all types of corruption,” he said. “As public officials, the people put their trust in us. If public servants don’t do things the right way, how can we expect the public to do so?” Cases, born and raised in Puerto Rico, previously was director for Latin America and the southwest border for the FBI’s criminal investigations division in Washington, D.C. He also has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and at the federal agency’s office in San Juan, where he was honored for his participation in one of the bureau’s largest public corruption cases that targeted local law enforcement officials. Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In 1994, he transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases. In 2001, Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the drug section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT. He was then promoted to program manager in 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations. In 2007, Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history. Mike Nova shared a link via El Vocero de Puerto Rico.
Casos de corrupción a todos los niveles
www.vocero.com
Cases, nuevo director del Negociado Federal de Investigaciones en la Isla, se expresó a favor de la activación de la Guardia Nacional para ayudar a atajar la incidencia de crímenes.
Puerto Rico Law Enforcement and Police News
via puerto
rico fbi - Google Blog Search by unknown on 2/11/13
SAN JUAN – The FBI's new Special Agent in Charge
for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands said Monday that his office
is investigating cases of public corruption on this Caribbean island. Carlos
Cases, whose appointment was announced ...
via puerto
rico fbi - Google Blog Search by Agencia EFE on 2/11/13
San Juan – El nuevo jefe de la Oficina Federal de
Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) para Puerto
Rico y las Islas Vírgenes, Carlos Cases, informó hoy que la agencia
estadounidense investiga casos de corrupción ...
via puerto
rico fbi - Google Blog Search by unknown on 2/11/13
El nuevo jefe en Puerto Rico del Negociado Federal
de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés), Carlos Cases,
confirmó hoy que la agencia conduce varias investigaciones de corrupción pública
“a todos los niveles”.
via puerto
rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/11/13
|
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/8/13
 NACLA (blog) |
The Drug Trade and the Increasing Militarization of the Caribbean
NACLA (blog) It has been revealed that the drones will be operating out of bases in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cocoa Beach, Florida and potentially the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The shift towards the use ... Information has emerged which reveals that a U.S ... |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
 Washington Post |
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid evidence-planting probe
Washington Post SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he ... and more » |
via El Nuevo dia : Noticias on 2/7/13
El Departamanto de Justicia de Estados Unidos y el gobierno de Puerto Rico tendrán hasta el 15 de febrero
via Primera Hora : Lo Ultimo on 2/7/13
Orden de juez federal expresa serias reservas sobre la capacidad económica del Gobierno de Puerto Rico para implementar las mejoras requeridas
"Puerto Rico Law Enforcement and Police News" bundle created by Mike Nova
A bundle is a collection of blogs and websites hand-selected by your friend on a particular topic or interest. You can keep up to date with them all in one place by subscribing in Google Reader.
There are
8 feeds included in this bundle
- puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search
- puerto rico police corruption - Google Blog Search
- puerto rico police department - Google Blog Search
- puerto rico law enforcement - Google News
- puerto rico police - Google News
- puerto rico police corruption - Google News
- puerto rico police department - Google News
- puerto rico police - Google Blog Search
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by unknown on 2/3/13
Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A former police commissioner for Puerto Rico's capital has pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography in a plea agreement with U.S. authorities.
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by unknown on 2/2/13
Ex-Puerto Rico police pleads guilty in porn case. A former police commissioner for Puerto Rico's capital has pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography in a plea agreement with U.S. authorities. The Associated Press ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by The Huffington Post News Editors on 12/22/12
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The U.S. Justice Department and Puerto Rico's government signed an agreement Friday to reform the island's police department, which has long been accused of corruption, illegal killings and civil ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by NReino on 2/6/13
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by webmaster@ice.gov (ICE) on 2/4/13
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The former commissioner of the San Juan Police Department pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gustavo Gelpi. U.S. Immigration and Customs ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by unknown on 2/6/13
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by webmaster@ice.gov (ICE) on 2/1/13
The HSI investigation stemmed from a Puerto Rico Police Department referral Oct. 15, 2012, alerting HSI that White-Ayala had committed a sexual aggression against a 14-year-old. White-Ayala had his initial hearing before ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by hadeninteractive on 1/4/13
Puerto Rico's police force is the second largest in U.S. states and territories, second in size only to that of New York City. The Puerto Rican police force includes more than 17,000 officers. Puerto Rico has a high level of violent ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by Patrick Sharkey on 11/8/12
Puerto Rico Police Department Superintendent Hector Pesquera has sadly announced that one of his officers was shot and killed during a store robbery in Toa Baja. Agent Ivan Roman, age 34, and his partner responded to a ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google Blog Search by webmaster@ice.gov (ICE) on 8/6/12
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with the Puerto Rico Police Department and other members of the Caribbean Corridor ...
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
Washington Post |
Puerto Rico police clear 2 suspects in Macho Camacho's death
Washington Post SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also showed ... Forensic Evidence Clears 2 Men in Death of Hector CamachoBleacher Report all 5 news articles » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
Charlotte Observer SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/2/13
Ex-Puerto Rico Police Pleads Guilty in Porn Case
ABC News A former police commissioner for Puerto Rico's capital has pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography in a plea agreement with U.S. authorities. Hilton Cordero Rosario is expected to serve 10 years in prison as a result of Friday's plea. His ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
Former San Juan Police Department commissioner pleads guilty to possession ...
PoliticalNews.me (press release) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The former commissioner of the San Juan Police Department pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gustavo Gelpi. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/4/13
A Death Penalty Case in Puerto Rico
New York Times Lawyers familiar with the case say the United States attorney's office in Puerto Rico asked Mr. Holder to seek a life sentence without parole because there is no clear proof Mr. Casey knew the victim was a law enforcement officer. Mr. Holder, however ... |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/5/13
New FBI Director in Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
ABC News Cases also has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and at an FBI office in Puerto Rico, where he was honored for his participation in one of the bureau's largest public corruption cases that targeted local law enforcement officials. Cases said ... FBI Names New Special Agent in Charge of Puerto Rico Officeticklethewire.com all 3 news articles » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/7/13
Coalition Analyzes Mass Shootings as Chicago's Homicides Soar
Patch.com Chicago currently has some of the strictest gun laws on the books, according to the Huffinton Post, but police data reported by the New York Times shows that more than 15,000 of the police-traced guns came from just outside the city limits as well as ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
Honduras tops U.S. in Cup qualifying
San Francisco Chronicle Jurisprudence: Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the Nov. 20 killing of boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. Sports and drugs: Dallas company SCA Promotions says it will sue Lance Armstrong to recover more than $12 ... and more » |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/6/13
All Share Services
Salon SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also ... |
via puerto rico law enforcement - Google News on 2/7/13
Dubious distinctions: RGV ranks high in cocaine seizures, immigrant ...
Valley morning Star More than half of apprehensions here — or 49,939 out of 97,762 total — were people from places other than Mexico, known in law enforcement jargon as “OTMs.” These people were mostly Honduran, Guatemalan and Salvadoran citizens, according to WOLA ... and more » |
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ACLU REPORT SAYS 1700 PUERTO RICAN POLICE OFFICERS ARE CRIMINALS
Published on Jul 8, 2012
CNN uploaded a video on it TODAY, making it a current event as far as we're concerned. The nonexistent antecedent of "this story" in the previous sentence being, "Puerto Rico's police force is super corrupt."
The American Civil Liberties Union released a report on the Puerto Rican police, which is the second-largest police force in the United States (obviously including territories here), on June 19, and it ain't pretty. While attention on police misbehavior in ACTUAL states has increased thanks to the string of abuses associated with Occupy Movement protests, those incidents don't hold a candle to the sorts of horrors contained in the ACLU report.
Did I read the entire paper? No, dummy, it's 182 pages long, but you can download it and knock yourself out if you want. The section headers alone, though, are enough to make you cancel your cruise to San Juan. They are: III. Shooting to Kill: Unjustified Use of Lethal Force IV. Police Brutality against Low-Income, Black, and Dominican Communities V. Billy Clubs versus Speech: Excessive Force against Protesters to Suppress Speech and Expression VI. Documented Cases of Police Abuse against Protesters VII. Failure to Police Crimes of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault VIII. Total Impunity: Failure to Investigate or Punish Police Brutality IX. A Lawless Police Force: Lack of Guidance Governing the Use of Force, X. Relevant Constitutional and Human Rights Law.
Well then. Even if you remove some of the florid rhetoric, the ACLU report doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture of Puerto Rico's police. Between 2005 and 2010, 1,700 of the island's 17,000-member force were arrested for various crimes ranging from domestic abuse to murder. It's worth remembering that police despise disciplining their own, so I can only imagine what those who DON'T get arrested are doing with their time.
But why should we care? After all, Puerto Rico isn't even a state, and the last time I checked, they don't speak Anglish down there. CNN, can you help us out?
Yes, CNN will help. The reporters in the video below repeatedly remind us that the nearly 4 million people who reside in Puerto Rico are in fact UNITED STATES CITIZENS. Who knew? It's not like this is happening in a foreign country, as correspondent Nick Valencia points out. This is OUR country. If Puerto Rico were a foreign country we could send in a drone strike and not have to worry about it, but here in AMERICA, this shit won't fly.
Watch the video, please. It begins with the lead, "Well, if you don't follow what's going on in Puerto Rico, here is one reason why you should." Thanks, CNN!
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit with the feds and is calling for swift action from the US and Puerto Rican governments. Things don't usually work out too well when America tries to impose its will on brown people who don't speak English, but remember: THESE ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT - 7 JUL 12.
The American Civil Liberties Union released a report on the Puerto Rican police, which is the second-largest police force in the United States (obviously including territories here), on June 19, and it ain't pretty. While attention on police misbehavior in ACTUAL states has increased thanks to the string of abuses associated with Occupy Movement protests, those incidents don't hold a candle to the sorts of horrors contained in the ACLU report.
Did I read the entire paper? No, dummy, it's 182 pages long, but you can download it and knock yourself out if you want. The section headers alone, though, are enough to make you cancel your cruise to San Juan. They are: III. Shooting to Kill: Unjustified Use of Lethal Force IV. Police Brutality against Low-Income, Black, and Dominican Communities V. Billy Clubs versus Speech: Excessive Force against Protesters to Suppress Speech and Expression VI. Documented Cases of Police Abuse against Protesters VII. Failure to Police Crimes of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault VIII. Total Impunity: Failure to Investigate or Punish Police Brutality IX. A Lawless Police Force: Lack of Guidance Governing the Use of Force, X. Relevant Constitutional and Human Rights Law.
Well then. Even if you remove some of the florid rhetoric, the ACLU report doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture of Puerto Rico's police. Between 2005 and 2010, 1,700 of the island's 17,000-member force were arrested for various crimes ranging from domestic abuse to murder. It's worth remembering that police despise disciplining their own, so I can only imagine what those who DON'T get arrested are doing with their time.
But why should we care? After all, Puerto Rico isn't even a state, and the last time I checked, they don't speak Anglish down there. CNN, can you help us out?
Yes, CNN will help. The reporters in the video below repeatedly remind us that the nearly 4 million people who reside in Puerto Rico are in fact UNITED STATES CITIZENS. Who knew? It's not like this is happening in a foreign country, as correspondent Nick Valencia points out. This is OUR country. If Puerto Rico were a foreign country we could send in a drone strike and not have to worry about it, but here in AMERICA, this shit won't fly.
Watch the video, please. It begins with the lead, "Well, if you don't follow what's going on in Puerto Rico, here is one reason why you should." Thanks, CNN!
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit with the feds and is calling for swift action from the US and Puerto Rican governments. Things don't usually work out too well when America tries to impose its will on brown people who don't speak English, but remember: THESE ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT - 7 JUL 12.
Category
1,700 Cops arrested in Puerto Rico !
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Read the New York Times article in the link below. Be sure to pay extra attention to paragraphs 3, 4 and 5. I urge all police officers to ask yourselves if you really believe Raymond Kelly and Michael Bloomberg are going to defend you when the FBI comes to arrest you for Constitutional rights violations and discrimination.
They indirectly force you to violate certain people's rights to meet performance goals and then act like they never knew you had to break the law to meet your monthly arrest and ticket quotas.
NYPD hero and Whistle blower Adil Polanco stays home with his family everyday and collects close to $90,000 a year for doing the right thing and exposing police department corruption and so can you. You can either expose corruption now within the NYPD or share the same fate as the 1,700 police officers in Puerto Rico that thought they were untouchable but are now behind bars.
New York Times article : http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/us/...
They indirectly force you to violate certain people's rights to meet performance goals and then act like they never knew you had to break the law to meet your monthly arrest and ticket quotas.
NYPD hero and Whistle blower Adil Polanco stays home with his family everyday and collects close to $90,000 a year for doing the right thing and exposing police department corruption and so can you. You can either expose corruption now within the NYPD or share the same fate as the 1,700 police officers in Puerto Rico that thought they were untouchable but are now behind bars.
New York Times article : http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/us/...
FBI ARREST CORRUPT POLICE OFFICERS IN PUERTO RICO
Uploaded on Oct 7, 2010
100+ POLICE OFFICERS AND GOVERMENT WORKERS ARRESTED IN PUERTO RICO BY FBI, HISTORIC ARREST
Police Brutality Against Journalists in Puerto Rico
Uploaded on Sep 8, 2011
Puerto RIco's Fortuno Administration is undermining freedom of the press by allowing the Police to target journalist for violence.
The Justice Department has accused Puerto Rico Police of brutality, abuse and corruption.
To take action, go to:
http://www.aclu.org/puertoricoaction
The Justice Department has accused Puerto Rico Police of brutality, abuse and corruption.
To take action, go to:
http://www.aclu.org/puertoricoaction
Category
via puerto rico - Google News on 2/7/13
 NPR |
'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High Crime
NPR Puerto Rico's population is declining. Faced with a deteriorating economy, increased poverty and a swelling crime rate, many Puerto Ricans are fleeing the island for the U.S. mainland. In a four-part series, Morning Edition explores this phenomenon ... 4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid evidence-planting probeWashington Post Puerto Rico Climbs Most in Year as Redemptions Rise: Muni CreditBloomberg Puerto Rican Lawmaker Says Airport Lease Will be Bad for IslandHispanically Speaking News Worcester Telegram -Newstrack India all 9 news articles » |
via Caribbean Business on 2/6/13
NPR takes a look at those who stayNational Public Radio is continuing to spotlight Puerto Rico’s falling populatio ...'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High CrimeListen to this story
Luis Romero looks out over the ocean to a view that includes the Coast Guard station where his son, Julian, was in the auxiliary. Romero started the anti-violence organization Basta Ya after Julian was murdered. (NPR)
Daysi Pena was selling cosmetics and accessories at the Rio Piedras market in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when she spotted two men getting out of a car. They ran into the jewelry store across from her stall, ran out again and began firing guns. The incident was the last straw for Pena, who had worked at the market for 12 years. "I'm moving to the United States with my daughter," she said, referring to the mainland. Puerto Rico's per capita murder rate is six times that of the U.S. as a whole. And with violence escalating, many residents are considering joining the thousands of others who have already fled the island for brighter and safer opportunities. The island's police superintendent, Hector Pesquera, says tackling the crime problem has been a challenge. Before he ran the police force, which is responsible for the entire island of more than 3.5 million people, Pesquera spent years leading the FBI bureau in Miami. The picture wasn't pretty when he returned to Puerto Rico. He came home to a fleet of police cars in despair, aging equipment and officers arrested for corruption. Drug cartels, he says, were also moving their businesses to the island from Mexico. "Plus, unfortunately, we broke the all-time record for murders [in 2011]," he says. "We had 1,136, I believe." It's a record that Pesquera and his team are trying to combat. "We had 186, 187 less murders, so we're slowly making a dent," he says. America's Role Pesquera says political muscle is needed to make the case to Washington, D.C., that solving the drug and crime problems here will help people on the mainland. In many ways, Puerto Rico is America's third border, Pesquera says. Drugs that enter from Latin America can head right to the mainland without going through customs. According to Pesquera, 80 percent of the drugs that come through the island end up in cities and communities on the East Coast. "Help us. Because if you help us, we're going to help the United States," he says. "Is it that hard?" Puerto Rico's resident commissioner, or nonvoting member of Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, says the Department of Homeland Security will soon begin an intensive effort to curb drug violence. DHS would only confirm that it has expanded anti-drug operations in Puerto Rico and continues to deploy personnel there. But police superintendent Pesquera says he's still not convinced that people on the mainland are paying enough attention to how dire the circumstances are in Puerto Rico. "Out of sight, out of mind," he says. "I was watching the national news and they were highlighting Oakland [Calif.] and the major crime wave there — 114 murders. We blow that in a month here. You see any uproar? Nothing." Pesquera says he knows the island will get the help it needs at some point. "It's just when," he says. "When's the breaking point?" Beating The Culture Of Crime In an area called Old San Juan — a touristy spot in the capital — cobblestone streets and trendy cafes paint a paradise that's described in all the tour books. But Luis Romero says there's more to the scene than visitors may notice. "Below the obvious, incredible beauty lies a very sad situation of high crime," says Romero, who was born in the neighborhood. Romero was pulled into the war on crime when his son was killed almost two years ago on his son's birthday. After a night of celebration, his son was on a walk with his girlfriend in a well-lit area when a 14-year-old stole his cellphone. "He gives the iPhone, gives the money, but the guy decides to attack his girlfriend and stabs her twice. My son jumps in to defend her, and he died a hero. He got knifed three times. The kid is serving now 30 years in jail," Romero says. "My son is dead." Romero started an anti-crime organization called Basta Ya ("that's enough" in Spanish). He says his son, who was a criminal justice student, advocated for unity and an end to the culture of crime. Violent crime and drugs have long been issues on the island, but many Puerto Ricans say they used to feel safe as long as they weren't involved in the drug war. Now, crime feels more widespread, Romero says, affecting the poor and rich alike. "This is no way to live, that you have to be looking to the right and looking to the left to make sure that nothing is going to happen to you," he says. "You are sitting at home and you hear the 'ratt-tatt-tatt-tatt-tatt' of the machine guns going on. Why do we have to live through that?" Romero, who has family who have already left, says he used to have conversations with his son about whether they too should leave. "Sometimes, you know, as a father, I feel torn," he says. "If I had moved, he wouldn't have been killed. Maybe or maybe not." When asked what he wants people on the U.S. mainland to know about Puerto Rico, Romero says, "Well, the people of Puerto Rico are very warm, very welcoming. You can enjoy Puerto Rico, the natural beauty, the opportunities. "But as fellow American citizens," he says, "don't give up on us. We may need some help now, but don't give up on us."  héctor pesquera - GS ____________________________________________________ US, Puerto Rico Sign Agreement On Reforming Police
By DANICA COTO 12/21/12 06:14 PM ET EST
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The U.S. Justice Department and Puerto Rico's government signed an agreement Friday to reform the island's police department, which has long been accused of corruption, illegal killings and civil rights violations.
The agreement resolved a lawsuit that U.S. authorities also filed Friday, more than a year after federal prosecutors issued a scathing report on the U.S. territory's police department, which is the second-largest force in the U.S. with more than 17,000 officers. "The challenges that we identified in the report were many years in the making," Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez said in a phone interview. "Solving the problem is going to take many years. I think it can get done, but it's hard work." Gov. Luis Fortuno said the agreement will make for a safer Puerto Rico, an island of 4 million people that reported a record 1,117 homicides last year. "Today we establish the cornerstones for a fresh start with Puerto Rico's police," he said. "There is still a lot of work to be done, but we have begun a far-reaching reform that the police department needed decades ago." Fortuno said both parties have asked that a judge temporarily suspend proceedings until April to give the island's incoming government time to evaluate and possibly modify the agreement if needed. The lawsuit accused police of discrimination, using excessive force and conducting unlawful searches and seizures. "As a result of these acts, hundreds of residents of Puerto Rico suffer serious or fatal injuries, are subjected to traumatic and unjustified searches and seizures of their persons, homes, and automobiles, and are discouraged from engaging in free speech acts," the lawsuit stated. It noted Puerto Ricans filed more than 1,500 complaints against police officers for unjustified or excessive force from 2004 to 2008. Authorities also arrested more than 1,700 police officers on charges including murder, rape, drug trafficking, assault and theft from January 2005 to November 2010. "This conduct is ongoing," the lawsuit said. It said police officers work without supervision or effective policy guidance, adding that supervisors are often directly involved in illegal activities. Federal prosecutors said the department's has no system to deal with officers accused of improper or unlawful conduct. The lawsuit highlighted the case of Miguel Caceres, an unarmed man who was shot at least three times, once in the head, by police in a 2007 killing captured on video. Other cases noted included one in which a police officer was accused of abandoning a suspect behind a shopping mall after beating him unconscious and another in which a group of plainclothes officers beat a suspect and dragged him face down on the pavement. The 106-page agreement calls on the police department to evaluate how it uses its resources and officers, to revise many of its policies and procedures and provide better training for officers. The department also is expected to create a merit-based promotion system, using written exams as part of a selection process through the rank of captain, and to prohibit specialized tactical units from doing general patrol and police work. The agreement also orders the department to create a system to collect information on every police officer, including all complaints, killings and uses of force. Once a judge approves the agreement, a monitor is expected to file an evaluation on the department every six months for the first three years. In five years, the monitor will evaluate the police department to see whether any changes have taken place, and whether the agreement should be modified. Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, welcomed Friday's announcement, saying it was long-awaited. "We're very pleased that the Justice Department has taken concrete action to end the unconscionable abuse Puerto Ricans have suffered at the hands of their own police force," he said. "For years the Puerto Rico Police Department has resisted reform. This agreement provides a roadmap for long-overdue reforms." _____________________________________________________
via Opinión - El Nuevo Día on 2/7/13
UN GIRO RADICAL AL SISTEMA DE JUSTICIA
En medio de una crisis de seguridad, y con las peores cifras en el esclarecimiento y procesamiento criminales, todos los componentes del sistema de justicia -Policía, tribunales y Departamento de Justicia- deben dar un giro radical en su funcionamiento para lograr un clima de garantías que reemplace el clima prevaleciente de impunidad. |
February 7, 2013
A radical turn to the justice system
In the midst of a security crisis, and the worst figures in the investigation and criminal prosecution, all components of the justice system-police, courts and Justice Department-must make a radical shift in its operation to achieve a climate of security to replace the prevailing climate of impunity.
And the sense of impunity that has demoralized and frightened society is based on poor record in solving crimes and in the low level of pay punitive perpetrators given in the three areas of criminal justice.
If we consider, first, the Department of Justice, there is a drastic reduction in the productivity of agency staff, which translates into reductions of more than 20 percent in the filing of serious criminal cases, and 30 in the least serious.
In other words, although we feel firsthand the increasing crime wave, which in 2011 reached record figures, with 1.136 violent deaths, and not declined much in 2012, are fewer cases reach the courts and resolved to the satisfaction of the public, sometimes for incompetence in presenting and other incriminating evidence, for unexplained lenient sentences or unexplained transactions that effectively deny the obvious punishment enough criminals returning to the streets.
Clearly, the key to the problem is budget cuts, which, over a period of five years, have forced Justice to work with $ 106 million less, which is one of the points that are to be valued.
To this must be added the decline in the quality of work of the police, resulting, among other reasons, the incentive plan straight early withdrawals of Law 7, which allowed officers with 15 years of service to retire with half pay. Result: 2,111 policemen accepted the agreement, 10% of the force, and had to replace those who are retiring and hiring new staff, with much less experience, because these vacancies could not be frozen, as was the original purpose for being essential public service, generating, in many cases, a dual dispensing wages.
A drain that has been combined with a persistent reduction in the budget, for example, in the investigative branch of the police, in 2010-2011 lost $ 26 million compared to previous years.
And although the budget factor is of great caliber, is palpable that for lack of a real counterweight administrative ethics and integrity, the scales of justice in Puerto Rico is inclined side while impunity, something to be overcome by adopting measures urgent, and redefining the responsibilities of each body dedicated to the fight against crime.
To achieve this downsizing, it is essential to provide each agency fiscally budget rationally required to meet its mission with guarantees.
Second, it is imperative to place the fight against crime at the heart of all the accomplishments of law and order, giving priority to fight, first street and then in court, criminal activity.
And third, but no less important, the three estates constituting justice, Department of Justice, Police and courts are obliged peremptorily put its house in order, not only as to regain his philosophical view, but in terms of administration resources, redirect their operation and become a coordinated network that aims to simplify and maximize the efficiency of their procedures.
It's time to make sense of the justice system, and refocus with inescapable maturity transformation.
via tourist crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/5/13
 WGBH NEWS |
One-Way Tickets To Florida: Puerto Ricans Escape Island Woes
WGBH NEWS For years, they've been migrating out of the U.S. Caribbean territory — many to escape the escalating crime rate and economic crisis. Today, Florida replaces New York as the primary destination for Puerto Ricans coming to the U.S. In Osceola County ... and more » |
via crime in puerto rico 2011 - Google News on 2/7/13
NPR |
'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High Crime
NPR Faced with a deteriorating economy, increased poverty and a swelling crime rate, many Puerto Ricans are fleeing the island for the U.S. mainland. In a four-part series, ... "Plus, unfortunately, we broke the all-time record for murders [in 2011]," he ... and more » |
via crime in puerto rico 2011 - Google Blog Search by Jim Kouri on 2/5/13
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF), conducted the investigation that led to the arrest and subsequent ... of predatory crimes against children, HSI San Juan partnered with members of local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as local and state government officials and community leaders, to form PRCACTF in June 2011.
THE ISLAND OF IMPUNITY: PRPD IN CRISIS - WEB REVIEW
Times Topics: Puerto Rico
Local news and multimedia about Puerto Rico, including breaking news and archival articles published in The New York Times. - NYT Search
Justice Dept. and Puerto Rico Agree to Overhaul the Island's ...
A consent decree filed to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit includes sweeping changes intended to help overcome a history of discrimination, ...
December 21, 2012 - - U.S. - Article - Print Headline: "Justice Dept. and Puerto Rico Agree to Overhaul the Island’s Troubled Police Force"
Justice Dept. and Puerto Rico Agree to Overhaul the Island’s Troubled Police Force
Ricardo Arduengo/Associated Press
Police officers detained student protesters at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan in 2011
By CHARLIE SAVAGE and LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: December 21, 2012
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the government of Puerto Rico agreed Friday to sweeping changes to the commonwealth’s large and troubled Police Department intended to help overcome a history of discrimination, violence and corruption.
Related
Police in Puerto Rico Are Accused of Abuses in Justice Dept. Report(September 8, 2011)
In a 102-page consent decree filed to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit, Justice Department officials and the departing governor of Puerto Rico, Luis G. Fortuño, agreed to far-reaching changes in the way the 17,000-member force recruits, trains, promotes and oversees its officers. This includes strict new policies on the use of force, police interactions with gay and transgender Puerto Ricans, the department’s approach to domestic violence and its handling of civilian complaints. The agreement also reins in the department’s special tactical units, which have drawn much criticism over the years.
Both sides agreed to delay putting the changes in place for several months to give the administration of the incoming governor, Alejandro García Padilla, an opportunity to review and adopt it — or propose changes. The subject is also subject to judicial approval.
“The successful implementation of the reforms contained in this agreement will help to reduce crime, ensure respect for the Constitution and restore public confidence” in the Puerto Rico Police Department, said Thomas E. Perez, the assistant attorney general for civil rights.
The agreement follows a 116-page report the Civil Rights Division issued last year accusing the Police Department of systematically “using force, including deadly force, when no force or lesser force was called for,” unnecessarily injuring hundreds of people and killing “numerous others.”
Critics of the Police Department have long complained that the force is largely corrupt, often inefficient and sometimes ruthless. This year, the American Civil Liberties Union wrote its own report on the department, highlighting widespread abuses and violations of civil rights, especially against poor people, black Puerto Ricans and Dominican immigrants.
“These abuses do not represent isolated incidents or aberrant behavior by a few rogue officers,” the report stated. “Such police brutality is pervasive and systemic, island-wide and ongoing.”
At the same time, murder is rampant on the island. Residents largely blame the police for failing to stem the killings. In 2011, Puerto Rico broke its own record, with 1,135 homicides, a rate of 30 killings per 100,000 residents.
The Justice Department report last year portrayed a police department riddled with problems. Officers routinely conducted illegal searches and seizures without warrants, attacked nonviolent protesters and journalists and discriminated against Dominicans, gays and transgender people. The department also failed to adequately handle sex assault and domestic violence cases, including spousal abuse by fellow officers.
Governor Fortuño said Friday that nothing was more important than the safety and quality of life of Puerto Ricans. The agreement, he said, establishes a clear path toward strengthening the Police Department.
“There remains a lot of ground to cover, but we have initiated a broad reform of the police that has been necessary for decades,” said Mr. Fortuño, who lost his re-election bid in November.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, under Mr. Perez, has threatened lawsuits and pushed through a series of consent decrees to overhaul troubled police departments, including a broad one with the City of New Orleans this year. The Puerto Rico agreement appears to go further.
Among other things, Puerto Rico has agreed to expel officers from heavily armed “special tactical units” who have a pattern of misbehavior and to end the practice of using them to perform ordinary police work and routine patrols, a practice linked to complaints of police brutality.
The earlier report said the units frequently relied on “intimidation, fear and extreme use of force.”
One example it cited was the killing of Cáceres Cruz in August 2007 by a tactical unit officer. Mr. Cruz was directing traffic when three officers, driving by, thought he had insulted them. They told Mr. Cruz he was under arrest and wrestled him to the ground. An officer accidentally shot himself in the leg. He then repeatedly shot Mr. Cruz, who was lying on the ground, in the head and body before leaving the scene.
An internal investigation cleared the officers of misconduct. But after a video of the confrontation surfaced in the news media, one officer was convicted of murder. It emerged that seven complaints had been filed against him, but had been largely ignored.
The agreement also called for new controls on stops, searches, and arrests, including a requirement that the department record the reason for the stop and the subject’s ethnicity.
Because of a stream of complaints involving prisoner abuse, supervisors at precincts and stations will have to “visually inspect each detainee or arrestee for injury” and interview them about any complaints of pain. A specific policy will be instituted for how the police should interact with gay and transgender people.
And to avoid the clashes seen in recent years between demonstrators and the police, crowd control rules must be improved and closely followed.
The report also tackles the longstanding problem of domestic violence and sexual assault on the island. The police will have to conduct more thorough investigations of these crimes, set up a 24-hour hot line and track the disposition of sexual assault cases.
A version of this article appeared in print on December 22, 2012, on page A11 of the New York edition with the headline: Justice Dept. and Puerto Rico Agree to Overhaul the Island’s Troubled Police Force.
Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico has had more than half a millennium of recorded colonial history. On November 19, 1493, in the course of his second voyage, Columbus was the ...
Moody's Downgrades Puerto Rico's Debt
The rating service dropped the commonwealth's debt to a notch above junk status, pressuring the new governor to head off an economic crisis.December 13, 2012 - - Business Day - Article - Print Headline: "Moody’s Downgrade Deepens Puerto Rico’s Economic Problems"
The agreement follows a 116-page report:
Police in Puerto Rico Are Accused of Abuses in Justice Dept. Report
By CHARLIE SAVAGE and LIZETTE ALVAREZ
In a 116-page report that officials intend to make public Thursday, the civil rights division of the Justice Department accused the Puerto Rico Police Department of systematically “using force, including deadly force, when no force or lesser force was called for,” unnecessarily injuring hundreds of people and killing “numerous others.”
The report, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, says the 17,000-officer force routinely conducts illegal searches and seizures without warrants. It accuses the force of a pattern of attacking nonviolent protesters and journalists in a manner “designed to suppress the exercise of protected First Amendment rights.”
And it says investigators “uncovered troubling evidence” that law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico appear to routinely discriminate against people of Dominican descent and “fail to adequately police sex assault and domestic violence” cases — including spousal abuse by fellow officers.
“Unfortunately,” the report found, “far too many P.R.P.D. officers have broken their oath to uphold the rule of law, as they have been responsible for acts of crime and corruption and have routinely violated the constitutional rights of the residents of Puerto Rico.”
The report is likely to intensify a sense of distress among the nearly four million American citizens who live on Puerto Rico, where violent crime has spilled into well-to-do areas. While violent crime has plummeted in most of the mainland United States, the murder rate in Puerto Rico is soaring. In 2011, there have been 786 homicides — 117 more than at this point last year.
Rather than helping to solve the crime wave, the Puerto Rico Police Department is part of the problem, the report contends. In October, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested 61 officers from the department in the largest police-corruption operation in bureau history. And the arrest of Puerto Rican police officers, the report says, is hardly rare.
From January 2005 to November 2010, it said, there were more than 1,709 such arrests for offenses “ranging from simple assault and theft to domestic violence, drug trafficking and murder.” During a comparable period, the New York Police Department, with a force about twice the size, had about 607 such arrests.
“The degree of police corruption and criminal misconduct in Puerto Rico is high and contributes to the public safety and civil rights crisis,” the report said. “More P.R.P.D. officers are involved in criminal activity than in any other major law enforcement agency in the country.”
A “finding” by the civil rights division of a pattern or practice of constitutional violations by a police department is a precursor to a lawsuit, which either goes to trial or, if the local authorities agree to changes, may be settled on the day it is filed. The division has 17 such investigations open, including in New Orleans, Newark and Seattle.
Its investigation of the Puerto Rico police, which began in July 2008, resulted in one of the most extensive such critiques the department has ever produced. It condemns nearly every aspect of the force — its hiring and training practices, the way it assigns and promotes officers, and its policies governing officer behavior and accountability for misconduct.
The report recommends 133 remedial measures that would amount to a sweeping intervention. It is likely to create a political headache for Puerto Rico’s governor, Luis G. Fortuño, a Republican who took office in 2009 and, as chief executive, oversees the department.
Mr. Fortuño has been criticized for his administration’s handling of a series of mostly nonviolent demonstrations by students and workers to protest higher university fees and government layoffs. Riot police hit protesters, bystanders and journalists with batons and used pepper spray and choke holds, in incidents that were videotaped and are discussed in the report.
Two months ago, Mr. Fortuño named a new police superintendent, Emilio Díaz Colón, a former National Guard adjutant general. During his confirmation, Mr. Díaz said he would not shy away from doing what was necessary to “convert the Puerto Rican police into an example of a disciplined, effective” force, but also said he did not plan any immediate major changes.
“We all recognize that there have been challenges at the Police Department that pre-date the governor’s administration,” Edward Zayas, a spokesman for Mr. Fortuño, said on Wednesday. “The governor has always acknowledged that the Puerto Rico Police Department needs reforms. However, he did not wait for any report from the D.O.J. in order to act.”
The Justice Department began the investigation in part due to complaints by the American Civil Liberties Union. In June, when President Obama visited the island, the A.C.L.U. sent him a letter contending that the police had “engaged in a level of brutality against U.S. citizens” with a degree of impunity that “would not be tolerated in the 50 states.”
While the report said Puerto Rican officials cooperated with the investigation, it was hindered by poor record-keeping. For example, the Puerto Rico Police Department reported 39 rapes last year — a figure the report portrays as unbelievable because nearly every other jurisdiction has far more rapes than murders.
The report focused on the “rampant” use of “unnecessary or gratuitous” force, a problem made worse by the use of tactical units — heavily armed officers who are poorly trained and steeped in “violent subcultures” — for ordinary police work. It says such units frequently “rely on intimidation, fear and extreme use of force to manage crowds and are often deployed to low-income and minority communities on routine patrols.”
The report also recounts many “illustrative incidents” and includes a nine-page appendix listing dozens more. One example it said exemplified “many of the deep-rooted deficiencies that continue to plague P.R.P.D.” was the killing of Cáceres Cruz in August 2007 by a tactical unit officer.
Mr. Cruz was directing traffic near a birthday party when three officers drove by and thought he had insulted them. They told Mr. Cruz he was under arrest and wrestled him to the ground, during which time one officer shot himself in the leg.The officer then repeatedly shot Mr. Cruz, who was lying on the ground, in his head and body before they drove off. An internal investigation cleared them of misconduct. But after a video of the incident surfaced in the news media, one officer was convicted of murder. It emerged that seven complaints had been filed against him, but had been largely ignored.
“The tragic events surrounding the Cáceres Cruz shooting served as a stark reminder of P.R.P.D.’s institutional dysfunction,” the report said.
Puerto Rico's Police Force Considers Reforms | Puerto Rico Report
4 Jan 2013 by hadeninteractive
Puerto Rico's police force is the second largest in U.S. states and territories, second in size only to that of New York City. The Puerto Rican police force includes more than 17,000 officers. Puerto Rico has a high level of violent ...
More results from Puerto Rico ReportPuerto Rico’s Police Force Considers Reforms
Puerto Rico’s police force is the second largest in U.S. states and territories, second in size only to that of New York City. The Puerto Rican police force includes more than 17,000 officers.
Puerto Rico has a high level of violent crime, largely as a result of its position as a largely undefended border used in the drug trade with the United States.
Unfortunately, Puerto Rico also has a history of problems within its police force. The U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a report in September that identified a pattern of civil rights violations, and followed up last week with a lawsuit.
Former Governor Fortuno did not contest the lawsuit and instead created an agreement with the Justice Department that gives new Governor Padilla time to review the recommendations and make any changes his government requires.
The agreement calls for extensive reforms, as well as improved training for law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico: Government and US Agree on Police Reforms
The government of Puerto Rico and the US Justice Department signed a 106-page agreement on Dec. 21 for reforming the island’s 17,000-member police department. The reforms are intended to address numerous police abuses detailed in a September 2011 Justice Department report; the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued its own report on abuses in June 2012 [see World War 4 Report 9/10/11 and 6/25/12]. The Justice Department also filed a lawsuit requiring the Puerto Rican government and police department to comply with the Justice Department’s earlier directives, but this was considered a legal formality, since the agreement apparently represents the compliance the US was seeking.
The Justice Department negotiated the agreement with Puerto Rican governor Luis Fortuño and Police Superintendent Héctor Pesquera, but Fortuño will not be implementing it. Alejandro García Padilla, who defeated Fortuño in a Nov. 6 election [see Update #1151], will start his four-year term on Jan. 2, and he has hinted that he may replace Pesquera. The Justice Department gave the Puerto Rican government until Apr. 15 to implement the accord in order to give the new administration time to review its provisions. (El Nuevo Día (Guaynabo) 12/21/12, 12/23/12; Associated Press 12/22/12 via Arizona Daily Star)
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puerto rico police department - GS
puerto rico police - GS
puerto rico police corruption - GS
Puerto Rico Police - YouTube
 | The Puerto Rico Police —also known in Puerto Rico as La Uniformada — is the state police of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Police is also one of two investigat... |
Police Abuse In Puerto Rico
Police Brutality Against Journalists in Puerto Rico
ACLU REPORT SAYS 1700 PUERTO RICAN POLICE OF…
0:18Police open fire on Students in Puerto Rico Topic - Puerto Rico Police - YouTube
Puerto Rico Police - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to Security and Protection Office: This unit is the Dignitary Protective Services Division of the Puerto Rico Police Department. They have been ...
Island of Impunity: Puerto Rico's Outlaw Police Force | American ...
A report released by the ACLU in June 2012 concludes that the Puerto Rico Police Department is plagued by a culture of unrestrained abuse and impunity.
Puerto Rico's outlaw police force - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
Jun 26, 2012 – Police in the US territory have been accused of civil rights abuses and overzealous crackdowns on peaceful protests.
DOJ Takes Action Against Puerto Rico's Police Force | Politic365
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Dec 26, 2012 – Back in September of 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a scathing report on Puerto Rico's Police Department (PRPD), ...
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héctor pesquera - GS
Héctor Pesquera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Héctor M. Pesquera is the current Superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police and the Puerto Rico Commissioner of Safety and Public Protection. Pesquera served ...
Crime in Puerto Rico
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4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid evidence-planting probe
By Associated Press,
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico’s police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man’s car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon.
Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after he analyzed video from a private security camera posted on YouTube.
Police spokeswoman Michelle Franco said Wednesday that two of the officers were suspended without pay.
The officers had arrested three men in the case on Jan. 25. The charges were dropped after a defense attorney submitted the video during a court hearing.
The investigation comes after the Puerto Rican government recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to reform an agency long accused of corruption, illegal killings and civil rights violations.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
_____________________________________________
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- crime in puerto rico - Google News
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- crime in puerto rico - Google Blog Search
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via crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
Washington Post |
Puerto Rico police clear 2 suspects in Macho Camacho's death
Washington Post SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also showed ... Forensic Evidence Clears 2 Men in Death of Hector CamachoBleacher Report all 3 news articles » |
via crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
Beaumont Enterprise SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after ... and more » |
via crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
How much did LePage go off script? Compare his prepared remarks to what he ...
Bangor Daily News And I just pray every night that Puerto Rico doesn't become a state, because we'll be 51st. Maine's energy costs are too high. and its We're ..... It is important that we broaden the discussion about these heinous crimes. And I really believe, that we ... and more » |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
Washington Post |
Puerto Rico police clear 2 suspects in Macho Camacho's death
Washington Post SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also showed ... Forensic Evidence Clears 2 Men in Death of Hector CamachoBleacher Report Two suspects cleared over Camacho shootingEurosport.com AU all 3 news articles » |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
San Francisco Chronicle SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after ... and more » |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
Kansas City Teen Handcuffed In Parents' Basement Since September
Huffington Post Betsian Carrasquillo Peñalosa. Federal agents have arrested Betsian Carrasquillo Penaloza for allegedly prostituting her 14-year-old daughter in Puerto Rico. ... her infant child was at home. She told police that her addiction to money led to a life of ... and more » |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
All Share Services
Salon People protest outside the government pension headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday. Puerto Rico is confronting what economists and financial analysts say is a ticking fiscal time bomb: a public pension system with a $37.3 billion unfunded ... and more » |
via murder puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
 Bleacher Report |
Puerto Rican police clear 2 in murder of 'Macho' Camacho
Fox News SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also showed ... Forensic Evidence Clears 2 Men in Death of Hector CamachoBleacher Report all 3 news articles » |
via crime in puerto rico statistics - Google News on 2/6/13
All Share Services
Salon The Eurostat agency released statistics showing that catches declined from 8.07 million tons in 1995 to 4.94 million tons in 2010 as stocks of fish such as cod and Bluefin tuna dwindled dramatically. Quotas for fishermen also became more restrictive to ... and more » |
via crime in puerto rico 2011 - Google News on 2/6/13
Puerto Rico's Battered Economy: The Greece Of The Caribbean?
North Country Public Radio Feb 6, 2013 — Wreckage believed to be from the 2011 Japanese tsunami is washing up thousands of miles away in Alaska. The debris isn't ... Faced with a deteriorating economy, increased poverty and a swelling crime rate, many citizens are fleeing the ... and more » |
via crime in puerto rico 2011 - Google News on 2/6/13
Ashley Curtis Fed Baby Son Cake For Breakfast, Neglected Him While She Did ...
Huffington Post Betsian Carrasquillo Peñalosa. Federal agents have arrested Betsian Carrasquillo Penaloza for allegedly prostituting her 14-year-old daughter in Puerto Rico. ... Danielle Barron. Barron allegedly prostituted herself while her infant child was at home ... and more » |
via tourist crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
 Washington Post |
Puerto Rico police clear 2 suspects in Macho Camacho's death
Washington Post SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also showed ... Forensic Evidence Clears 2 Men in Death of Hector CamachoBleacher Report all 2 news articles » |
via tourist crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probe
San Francisco Chronicle SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's police chief has suspended four officers suspected of planting a gun in a man's car and charging him with possession of an illegal weapon. Hector Pesquera says his department is investigating the case after ... and more » |
via tourist crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
 Salon |
When an Oregon bakery refused to make a same-sex couple's wedding cake ...
Salon Tourists gather at Trevi Fountain, in Rome, Monday. The Fendi fashion house is ... Bangladesh's main Islamist party has been demanding a halt to the trials of its top leaders facing charges of crimes against humanity involving the nation's 1971 ... and more » |
via tourist crime in puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
Statehood Now!
Washington Informer ... Blacks are viewed as "the enemy within;" as a Fifth Column, as a brooding, restive, soon to be a marauding mob of criminals which must be contained by each and every White household which must have an assault weapon to protect American "freedoms ... |
via murder puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
Two Puerto Ricans cleared in Macho Camacho's death
SI.com SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector "Macho'' Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also ... and more » |
via murder puerto rico - Google News on 2/5/13
WGBH NEWS |
One-Way Tickets To Florida: Puerto Ricans Escape Island Woes
WGBH NEWS The elder Fontanez owned a chain of successful restaurants in Puerto Rico. But in 1996, he brought his family to Central Florida after his brother, a police officer, was killed. "It was very bad; it was very tough," Fontanez says. "So [my father] just ... |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
 ksl.com |
Puerto Rico police clear 2 suspects in Macho Camacho's death
Fox News SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico police say forensic evidence has cleared two men suspected in the killing of popular boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. Police spokesman Alex Diaz told The Associated Press on Wednesday that evidence also showed ... 4 Puerto Rico policemen suspended amid probeSan Francisco Chronicle all 7 news articles » |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
All Share Services
Salon People protest outside the government pension headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday. Puerto Rico is confronting what economists and financial analysts say is a ticking fiscal time bomb: a public pension system with a $37.3 billion unfunded ... and more » |
via crime rates puerto rico - Google News on 2/6/13
 Salon |
Rove defends his Super PAC, but tea partiers see things differently VIDEO
Salon People protest outside the government pension headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday. Puerto Rico is confronting what economists and financial analysts say is a ticking fiscal time bomb: a public pension system with a $37.3 billion unfunded ... and more » |
OPML file
Operation Secure Front Continues
Puerto Rico crime fueled by cocaine trafficking
Published on Sep 25, 2011
The new plan is an outgrowth of recommendations from a task force created within DHS after DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano visited Puerto Rico in 2012. At the time, she made a personal commitment to develop a federal law enforcement strategy designed specifically to combat drug-related violence on the Island. DHS officials reportedly informed Pierluisi that the specific actions to be taken are based on an in-depth intelligence assessment that DHS conducted in an effort to understand exactly how drugs and guns are transported to Puerto Rico and to identify any law enforcement gaps that needed to be filled.
In response to news, Pierluisi stated:
“I am pleased to announce that this strategy is now becoming a reality, and that concrete and well-coordinated steps are being implemented to make Puerto Rico a safer place to live and raise a family. Some of these steps can and will be made public, and others must remain confidential for law enforcement purposes. But all of them are designed with a single goal in mind—to reduce the number of murders and other violent crimes on our streets and in our communities. I want to thank Secretary Napolitano for her personal commitment to this issue, for bearing in mind that residents of Puerto Rico are proud U.S. citizens, and for understanding that, as such, they deserve the same protection from their federal government as their fellow citizens in Florida, Texas, New York or any other state,” said Pierluisi.
Read more about drug related violence in Puerto Rico here.
Read more about DHS Secretary Napalitano’s visit to Puerto Rico here.
Puerto Rico is the last of the U.S. borders to receive federal assistance. Would this help have come sooner if Puerto Rico were a state? Read more here.
Puerto Rico Guardsmen and Operation Task Force Secure Front
Operation Secure Front Continues
Published on Feb 1, 2013
In an effort to provide enhanced security to the coasts of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico National Guard keeps its support and commitment in Operation Secure Front. Footage and narration by Spc. Eliezer Melendez, Public Affairs Broadcast Specialist, 113th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 101st Troop Command, Puerto Rico Army National Guard. Available in high definition.
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Category
Puerto Rico crime fueled by cocaine trafficking
Officials say that 75 percent of the murders in Puerto Rico are drug related. The Caribbean location and political status of the U.S. commonwealth make it an ideal route for cocaine traffickers. Kelly Cobiella reports.
Category
New Federal Resources for Puerto Rico to Combat Drug-Related Violence - Puerto Rico Report
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will soon begin a multi-faceted effort to combat drug-related violence in Puerto Rico. Details from this initiative are expected to include:
- Increased personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
- Expansion in the number of maritime and aviation operations to interdict drugs in and around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- More frequent inspections at select airports and seaports on the mainland and in Puerto Rico to curb the flow of firearms from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico.
- Greater federal inter-agency cooperation among DHS, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Defense, to fight against drug trafficking and related violence in Puerto Rico.
In response to news, Pierluisi stated:
“I am pleased to announce that this strategy is now becoming a reality, and that concrete and well-coordinated steps are being implemented to make Puerto Rico a safer place to live and raise a family. Some of these steps can and will be made public, and others must remain confidential for law enforcement purposes. But all of them are designed with a single goal in mind—to reduce the number of murders and other violent crimes on our streets and in our communities. I want to thank Secretary Napolitano for her personal commitment to this issue, for bearing in mind that residents of Puerto Rico are proud U.S. citizens, and for understanding that, as such, they deserve the same protection from their federal government as their fellow citizens in Florida, Texas, New York or any other state,” said Pierluisi.
Read more about drug related violence in Puerto Rico here.
Read more about DHS Secretary Napalitano’s visit to Puerto Rico here.
Puerto Rico is the last of the U.S. borders to receive federal assistance. Would this help have come sooner if Puerto Rico were a state? Read more here.
Puerto Rico Guardsmen and Operation Task Force Secure Front
Published on Feb 1, 2013
Operation Task Force Secure Front kicked off in the middle of January when Puerto Rico's Governor ordered the National Guard to state active duty. Guardsmen are shown during this mobilization and continuing efforts to help stop drugs and weapons trafficking to the island. It is estimated that nine billion dollars in drugs and weapons are trafficked through the island to Europe and the U. S. annually. Story by Eliezer Melendez.
Category
New FBI chief named for PR, USVI
By CB Online Staff
Seasoned FBI agent Carlos Cases has been named director of the federal law enforcement agency in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Cases, born and raised in Puerto Rico, will oversee FBI operations in both U.S. territories. He previously was director for Latin America and the southwest border for the FBI’s criminal investigations division in Washington, D.C.
The 21-year FBI veteran also has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and at the federal agency’s office in San Juan, where he was honored for his participation in one of the bureau’s largest public corruption cases that targeted local law enforcement officials.
Cases said Tuesday that he plans to work with federal and local authorities to fight drug trafficking, organized crime and public corruption.
He replaces special agent in charge Joseph Campbell. Cases previously held the position on an interim basis after the transfer of Luis Fraticelli and before the designation of Campbell.
Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In 1994, he transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases.
In 2001, Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the drug section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT. He was then promoted to program manager in 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations.
In 2007, Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history.
carlos cases fbi - GS
FBI agent Carlos Cases - GS
Carlos Cases sustituirá de forma interina al saliente director Luis Fraticelli. (Archivo/Primera Hora)
jueves, 21 de julio de 2011
Cases, quien ha laborado durante 20 años en el FBI, y quien asumió el puesto de subdirector en tiempos recientes, inciará sus nuevas funciones, el mismo 24 de julio.
Carlos Cases Named Special Agent in Charge of San Juan Division
WASHINGTON – Director Robert S.
Mueller, III has named Carlos Cases special agent in charge of the FBI’s San
Juan Division.
Cases most recently served as chief of the Latin America/Southwest Border Section of the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In January 1994, Cases transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases.
In January 2001, Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Drug Section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in August 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT.
Cases was promoted to program manager in August 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations.
In August 2007, Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in March 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history.
In his new role, Cases will oversee FBI operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Carlos Cases Named Special Agent in Charge of San Juan Division
The 21-year FBI veteran also has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and at the federal agency’s office in San Juan, where he was honored for his participation in one of the bureau’s largest public corruption cases that targeted local law enforcement officials.
Cases said Tuesday that he plans to work with federal and local authorities to fight drug trafficking, organized crime and public corruption.
He replaces special agent in charge Joseph Campbell. Cases previously held the position on an interim basis after the transfer of Luis Fraticelli and before the designation of Campbell.
Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In 1994, he transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases.
In 2001, Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the drug section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT. He was then promoted to program manager in 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations.
In 2007, Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history.
carlos cases fbi - GS
FBI agent Carlos Cases - GS
Carlos Cases sustituirá de forma interina al saliente director Luis Fraticelli. (Archivo/Primera Hora)
jueves, 21 de julio de 2011
05:57 p.m.
Primera Hora
Carlos Cases, quien ha ocupado el puesto de subdirector de la Oficina del FBI en Puerto Rico, sustituirá de forma interina al saliente director Luis Fraticelli, quien concluye sus funciones el domingo 24 de julio.
Cases, quien ha laborado durante 20 años en el FBI, y quien asumió el puesto de subdirector en tiempos recientes, inciará sus nuevas funciones, el mismo 24 de julio.
El portavoz del FBI en Puerto Rico, Harry Rodríguez, indicó a Primera Hora que Cases no hará expresiones sobre su nombramiento interino, hasta nuevo aviso.
22 de julio de 2011
Nombran al sucesor de Fraticelli
Carlos Cases dirigirá el FBI en Puerto Rico de forma interina
El nuevo jefe interino del FBI en Puerto Rico, Carlos Cases, asumirá su puesto el próximo lunes. (Archivo / El Nuevo Día / Mariel Mejía Ortiz )
Por Limarys Suárez Torres / lsuarez1@elnuevodia.com
El actual subdirector del Negociado Federal de Investigaciones (FBI), Carlos Cases, será el nuevo jefe interinamente de la agencia en Puerto Rico y comenzará sus funciones a partir del lunes próximo.
Luis Fraticelli, actual director del FBI, confirmó a El Nuevo Día que Cases será su sucesor una vez este se marche el lunes a su nuevo puesto de subdirector del “Critical Incident Response Group”, división que maneja desde las oficinas centrales del FBI en Washington casos de terrorismo, crimen organizado, crímenes violentos, vigilancia terrestre y rescate de rehenes.
“Los cuarteles generales me informaron que Carlos se quedará como interino hasta que nombren a alguien en propiedad y será por un periodo indefinido”, indicó Fraticelli.
Actualmente Cases, se desempeña como uno de los subdirectores del FBI en San Juan y está a cargo de supervisar toda la división criminal de la agencia además de realizar labores administrativas.
Cases cuenta con 20 años dentro de las filas del FBI y lleva dos años fungiendo como uno de los subdirectores de la agencia en Puerto Rico.
En mayo pasado Fraticelli anunció su salida de la dirección del FBI en Puerto Rico luego de aceptar un ascenso para ser el segundo al mando la división que maneja incidentes críticos del FBI (CIRG, por sus siglas en inglés) y entonces aseguró que abandona su silla en Puerto Rico con sentimientos encontrados pero satisfecho con la labor realizada por su oficina durante los pasados siete años bajo su mandato.
“Ciertamente es un honor para mí que me hayan considerado y promovido a esa posición y lo veo como un reto. Es con sentimientos encontrados que me voy porque soy de aquí, tengo mi familia aquí, pero es un reto y estoy honrado que el director me haya considerado para esta posición. Estoy contento”, expresó Fraticelli en conferencia de prensa en sus oficinas en el FBI para anunciar su salida.
July 22, 2011
Fraticelli's successor named
Cases Carlos lead the FBI in Puerto Rico on an interim
The new acting head of the FBI in Puerto Rico, Carlos Cases, will assume his post on Monday. (File / The New Day / Mariel Mejia Ortiz) .
By Limarys Suarez Torres / lsuarez1@elnuevodia.com
The current deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Carlos Cases, will be the new interim head of the agency in Puerto Rico and will begin his duties on Monday next.
Luis Fraticelli, current director of the FBI, told El Nuevo Dia that Cases will succeed once you leave this Monday at his new position of deputy director of "Critical Incident Response Group" division that operated from FBI headquarters in Washington cases of terrorism, organized crime, violent crime, ground surveillance and hostage rescue.
"The headquarters informed me that Carlos will stay on as interim until someone appointed property and will be for an indefinite period," said Fraticelli.
Cases Currently, he serves as a deputy director of the FBI in San Juan and is responsible for overseeing all of the agency's criminal division in addition to administrative duties.
Cases with 20 years in the ranks of the FBI and spent two years serving as a deputy director of the agency in Puerto Rico.
Last May Fraticelli announced his departure from the direction of the FBI in Puerto Rico after accepting a promotion to be the second in command division that handles critical incidents FBI (CIRG, for its acronym in English) and then said he left his chair in Puerto Rico with mixed feelings but satisfied with the work done by his office for the past seven years under his leadership.
"It's certainly an honor for me that I have considered and promoted to that position and see it as a challenge. It is with mixed feelings that I leave because I'm from here, I have my family here, but it's a challenge and I am honored that the manager would have considered for this position. I'm happy, "Fraticelli said at a press conference in his office in the FBI to announce his departure.
Carlos Cases Named Special Agent in Charge of San Juan Division
WASHINGTON – Director Robert S.
Mueller, III has named Carlos Cases special agent in charge of the FBI’s San
Juan Division.Cases most recently served as chief of the Latin America/Southwest Border Section of the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In January 1994, Cases transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases.
In January 2001, Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Drug Section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in August 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT.
Cases was promoted to program manager in August 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations.
In August 2007, Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in March 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history.
In his new role, Cases will oversee FBI operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Carlos Cases Named Special Agent in Charge of San Juan Division
| Washington, D.C. February 05, 2013 |
Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Carlos Cases special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Juan Division. Mr. Cases most recently served as chief of the Latin America/Southwest Border Section of the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In January 1994, Mr. Cases transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases.
In January 2001, Mr. Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Drug Section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in August 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT. Mr. Cases was promoted to program manager in August 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations.
In August 2007, Mr. Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in March 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history.
In his new role, Mr. Cases will oversee FBI operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Operation Guard Shack - GS
(CNN) -- A former Puerto Rico police officer was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday for his role in providing security for drug deals in an FBI sting in which he received $2,000 per transaction, authorities said.
Mr. Cases began his career as a special agent with the FBI in May 1992. He first reported to the El Paso Division, where he investigated violent crime, organized crime, and drug matters. In January 1994, Mr. Cases transferred to the San Juan Division and continued to work organized crime and drug cases.
In January 2001, Mr. Cases was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Drug Section of the Criminal Investigative Division and detailed to DEA Headquarters. He then transferred to the San Juan Division in August 2002 as the supervisory special agent of a Criminal Enterprise squad. While there, he served as a coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Crisis Negotiation, and SWAT. Mr. Cases was promoted to program manager in August 2005 and assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to coordinate drug and gang investigations.
In August 2007, Mr. Cases returned to the San Juan Division as the supervisory special agent of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, in March 2009, was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. While there, he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement for his role in Operation Guard Shack, one of the largest public corruption cases in FBI history.
In his new role, Mr. Cases will oversee FBI operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Operation Guard Shack - GS
Former Puerto Rico officer sentenced to 40 years in corruption sting
updated 8:47 PM EDT, Thu July 12, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Javier A. Diaz Castro, 30, was convicted in an FBI sting against corruption and drug trafficking
- He was among 88 other law officers in Puerto Rico indicted last year
- Diaz carried his service gun and provided security for drug deals, feds say
- The drug deals were staged under FBI's Operation Guard Shack
Javier A. Diaz Castro, 30, was convicted in December of two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, two counts of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug transaction, a prosecutor said.
Diaz, along with 88 other law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico and 44 other people, were indicted in October 2010 as part of the FBI's Operation Guard Shack, which targeted public corruption and cocaine trafficking, federal authorities said.
As of Thursday, 128 of the defendants have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial, including Diaz, according to Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer and Special Agent in Charge Joseph S. Campbell of the FBI's San Juan Division.
Diaz provided security for what he thought were drug deals at least twice in 2010 -- but the transactions were part of the FBI sting, authorities said.
Diaz, a 10-year police veteran assigned to the frauds unit, carried his service weapon in the transactions, federal authorities said. Another Puerto Rico police officer allegedly brought Diaz into the criminal enterprise, authorities said.
U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpi for the District of Puerto Rico issued the prison sentence, authorities said.
CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.
Island of Impunity: Puerto Rico's Outlaw Police Force | American ...
A report released by the ACLU in June 2012 concludes that the Puerto Rico Police Department is plagued by a culture of unrestrained abuse and impunity.
Island of Impunity: Puerto Rico's Outlaw Police Force
A report released by the ACLU in June 2012 concludes that the Puerto Rico Police Department is plagued by a culture of unrestrained abuse and impunity. The PRPD – which, with over 17,000 officers, is the second-largest police department in the U.S – is charged with policing the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
In December 2012, the U.S. Justice Department signed an agreement with the Puerto Rican government that would require sweeping reforms to end the widespread police brutality on the island. Learn more about the historic agreement here.
Download the full report » (PDF)
Read the Executive Summary » (PDF)
Descargar el resumen ejecutivo del informe en español » (PDF)
The report offers numerous detailed recommendations, including:
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In December 2012, the U.S. Justice Department signed an agreement with the Puerto Rican government that would require sweeping reforms to end the widespread police brutality on the island. Learn more about the historic agreement here.
Download the full report » (PDF)
Read the Executive Summary » (PDF)
Descargar el resumen ejecutivo del informe en español » (PDF)
> Report: Island of Impunity: Puerto Rico's Outlaw Police Force
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> Video: Police Brutality in Puerto Rico (0:51)
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After a comprehensive six-month investigation of policing practices in Puerto Rico, building on eight years of work by the ACLU of Puerto Rico documenting cases of police brutality, the ACLU has concluded that the PRPD commits serious and rampant abuses in violation Puerto Ricans' constitutional and human rights, including:Read More
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> Video: Police Brutality in Puerto Rico (0:51)
> From Our Blog
TAKE ACTION: Spanish | English
- Use of excessive and lethal force against civilians, especially in poor and Black neighborhoods and Dominican communities, often resulting in serious injury and death. Read More»
- Violent suppression of peaceful protestors using batons, rubber bullets, and a toxic form of tear gas that was phased out by mainland U.S. police departments in the 1960's. Read More»
- Failure to protect victims of domestic violence and to investigate reported crimes of domestic violence, rape, and other gender-based crimes. Read More»
The report offers numerous detailed recommendations, including:
- The Justice Department should enter into a court-enforceable and court-monitored agreement with the PRPD.
- The PRPD should develop and implement policies on the use of force, improved training, the investigation of civilian complaints of police abuse, and the discipline of officers.
- Puerto Rico's legislature should create an independent and effective oversight body to monitor the PRPD. Read more»
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| San Juan Leadership |
 |
Special Agent in
Charge Carlos Cases |
| Assistant Special Agents in Charge | ||
| - Jane Erickson - Samuel Santana __________________________________ Links: carlos cases - GS puerto rico police department - GS puerto rico police - GS puerto rico police corruption - GS puerto rico law enforcement - GS héctor pesquera - GS Crime in Puerto Rico | ||
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