Ecuador: Correa Officials Roll Out “Civilian Safety” Plan, A Civilian Police Force?

Belén Marty/panampost.com reported On Wednesday, October 8, Ecuadorian officials from the Ministry of the Interior and National Police presented a new citizens’ manual that aims to better involve local communities across the country in crime prevention.

The “Guide for Civilian Safety, Civilian Solidarity” was first introduced last week in the south Quito neighborhood of Solada, and will now be implemented nationwide in coordination with Ecuador’s approximately 1,700 Community Police Units (UPC).

According to the Rafael Correa administration, the proposal’s objective is to engage civil society in working to resolve eight problem areas in Ecuador regarding crime: domestic violence, gender violence, gang activity, robbery and theft, drug trafficking, exploitation, alcoholism, and human trafficking.

SAFETY AND SECURITY IN ECUADOR – READ THIS BOOK

The proposal falls within the framework of the Civilian Safety, Civilian Solidarity program, which relies on the Ministry of the Interior to prevent crime by strengthening social customs and habits. The program forms part of Ecuador’s New Model of State Management and Decentralization.

“The interesting part of this initiative is the concept of solidarity, because it encourages citizens to interact and collaborate with their neighbors when they are in trouble, and in this way arrive at practical solutions,” said Interior Minister José Serrano.

Manuel Varese, director of the Ministry of the Interior Human Trafficking Department, emphasized the idea of solidarity, suggesting Ecuadorians often deny their neighbors help when problems arise. According to Varese, many Ecuadorian crime victims say their neighbors “just watched” or did nothing when they were in danger. …….. In his quest for greater state involvement in the lives of Ecuadorians, President Correa, in office since 2007, created the General Secretariat for Planning Good Living in June 2013, under the National Secretariat for Planning and Development. Read Article