Director of the National Police said that 23,000 police officers have retired in the last four years

On March 7, the director of the National Police, General Jorge Luis Vargas, said that 23,000 uniformed personnel have withdrawn from the institution in the last four years, which has reduced the ability to put more foot on force.

The statement was made by the uniformed during the National Congress of Municipalities taking place in Cartagena. He took the opportunity to ensure that this massive exit is due to the ruling of the Council of State which more easily accepts the departure of police officers from the institution.

“We had a ruling by the Council of State in which by their own interpretation police officers who had a status could retire earlier. We have 23,000 policemen who have retired in the last four and a half years,” said General Vargas.

He also clarified that the withdrawals do not allow more police to reach the municipalities of the country, which have requested an increase in the force force due to the latent insecurity in many of them.

However, the general gave his peace of mind, stating that in 2021 the National Police received 98,000 young people in pre-registration to be able to enter the institution.

“Thanks to the structure that the Police has, we are an absolutely professional force, not deliberating, not participating in politics, we represent the institutionality is that we manage to maintain ourselves,” said the officer.

The Minister of the Interior, Daniel Palacios, participated in the National Congress of Municipalities in Cartagena where he socialized the Citizen Security Law and the transformation of the National Police, to work together with mayors and governors on implementation throughout the territory.

The national government has currently invested $1.2 billion pesos in security and citizen coexistence projects and is expected to reach an investment of $2 billion, with 456 infrastructure works, benefiting 383 municipalities and generating more than 94,330 jobs nationwide.

The Citizen Security Act, the Transformation of the Police, the Disciplinary Code and a historic investment, are the tools left by the national government to fight crime and improve the conditions of security and citizen coexistence in the country.

The head of the political portfolio recalled that this law seeks to counter recidivism, gives judges more tools to reduce impunity and punish the offender.

Another important point to highlight in this law is the amendments to the Citizen Security Code, where there is a 50% reduction in the current amount of fines, if repeated in the crime it increases by 75% and if it is repeated it increases by 50%, this measure seeks to combat criminal recidivism.

In addition, territorial entities will also have an express procedure for the application of fines for cohabitation, an agile procedure for the collection of fines when they are carried out in flagrance, this procedure will have a maximum duration of five days.

“Today we can tell Colombians that the judicial and police authorities have the tools necessary to punish criminals and prevent them from returning to the streets to commit crimes,” emphasized the head of the Interior portfolio.

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