President Iván Duque highlights the work of Esmad and says: “Today, more than ever, societies require strong police officers”

President Iván Duque was present at the XIII Summit of the Police Community of America (Ameripol) held in Barranquilla and was attended by 35 police forces from 28 countries. There they exchanged experiences and strengthened ties with directors and delegates from the region. The head of state spoke about the Mobile Anti-Riot Squadron (Esmad) of the Colombian National Police and stated that they need to specialize in dealing with the new threats that have to do with “low-intensity or medium-intensity urban terrorism.”

“To face new threats that arise, particularly those related to low-intensity or medium-intensity urban terrorism, which seeks to threaten society, entrepreneurship, which seeks to curtail mobility, affect the right to work or the right to health. Therefore, an unwavering commitment is required that these threats, if not addressed with the indicated specialty, can result in fatal incidents also used by those who promote such practices to generate discredit and reputational cost,” said the Colombian president.

He also pointed out that this strengthening of Esmad is necessary throughout the continent and that the tools, capacities and mechanisms for monitoring, traceability and filming of police procedures must be in place, so that the post-truth threats that seek to end them can also be confronted in this way. tools.

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At the Summit held in the capital of the Atlantic, Iván Duque stated that, “today more than ever, societies require strong police officers, but at the same time fraternal and close to citizens; that citizens in the streets appreciate, value and thank them, as I have seen in so many neighborhoods of our country. When the violent have tried to destroy the Immediate Action Commands, within a few hours the entire community is restoring the quality of that infrastructure or simply reaching out to that policeman or that policewoman, with a little affection, with a hot chocolate, giving him a warm hug and a message of gratitude.”

And he pointed out that, “many politicians always want to show up next to the police, when there is a major capture, or when a criminal organization is dismantled. But when the difficult and random moments of carrying out millions of police procedures take place, many of them go out to wash their hands, attack and question the work of the police.”

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Regarding the complaints that have been generated after some police procedures, the president stated that, “in Colombia we have received, on average, in recent years about 5,000 or 6,000 complaints of inappropriate behavior by members of the security forces; but the question is, what are these complaints compared to?”

He added: “I asked General (Jorge Luis) Vargas two years ago how many police procedures are carried out annually in our country? There are more than 33 million procedures that involve a capture, a transfer, a requisition, a requirement, but there are 33 million procedures where those who wear the uniform approach them according to the standards. Of the total number of police procedures, complaints filed annually are minimal.”

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