By Carola Rico
On March 31, the Strategic Security Plan was officially presented to San Miguel de Allende Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco, Secretary of Public Security of the State of Guanajuato Alvar Cabeza de Vaca Appendini, businessmen, and civil organizations. It covers the offices of Traffic, Civil Protection, and the police force.
In an interview, the Secretary of Public Security of San Miguel, Gabriel Arturo Yáñez Saldaña, explained the new plan to us. It follows provisions of the existing federal law that dictates that all municipalities must have a public security program and measures to prevent violence and delinquency. Beyond the legal obligations, the new plan is key because it represents a commitment of San Miguel to its citizens. It is a short- and medium-term plan that safeguards the integrity of the public, its assets, its heritage, order, peace, and social tranquility.
The strategy of the new plan aligns with the 2019-2024 National Development Plan, a national civil justice model that governs police, neighborhood police, and civic justice issues, as well as the State Government Program. The SMA’s Crime Prevention Department, however, is independent in the sense that it generates its own strategies and actions. It cooperates with other municipal agencies —Public Services, Urban Development, Environment, Civil Protection, Education, Institute of Youth, Women’s Institute, and DIF. The Crime Prevention Department operates the Municipal Commission for the Social Prevention of Violence and Delinquency, and is a fundamental part of the execution of security plans.
One of the first actions of the plan is organizing neighborhood security committees to create a link with residents. This way, the municipality can hear about the needs of a particular neighborhood and see how it is organized. In addition, the committees can be a bridge to generate actions in other areas, such as tree pruning, wasteland cleaning, business regulation, and sales of alcohol, for instance. Each neighborhood is different, with some similarities but also many differences that require various dynamics. The Crime Prevention Department has to adapt to the particularities of each neighborhood and to understand its social composition.
For example, the San Antonio neighborhood is highly organized, in spite of being the largest neighborhood in the municipality. The Guadalupe neighborhood committee will soon meet with the Secretary of Public Security. Not all neighborhoods have this type of exemplary organization. Some have problems with neighborhood relations, which makes it difficult to work together with the Secretary of Public Security.
One of the tasks in area of security is to heal neighborhood relations, allow people to get to know each other, generate mutual trust, and, finally, implement a Neighborhood Watch Program. The Staff of the Secretary of Public Security will attempt to strengthen the relationship between neighbors through talks and workshops, and reduce social problems and police intervention as much as possible.
The evaluation metric to certify policing is done based on a single Police Certificate (CUP), itself based on general public security law. There are various components to the certification, such as control and confidence, and an official evaluation to determine basic competence along seven elementary disciplines. This certificate is valid for three years, and provides a means for the public to know that each certified police officer is fit for the job. The Secretary of Security shared that each police officer must receive at least one training session per year as part of continuous training. When Yáñez took office, he undertook an internal investigation and discovered many police officers do not have the CUP. As a consequence, he undertook regularizing procedures to ensure that more police officers are certified. Now, a large number of police officers have their CUP.
Yáñez feels that it is very important to ensure that officers’ evaluations are valid, and that there are more officers. “We will undertake to strengthen the institution both in number —at least 300 more officers— as well as in equipment and sufficient supplies,” said Yáñez. The new work plan involves the three branches of government, with the aim of having efficient, timely, and comprehensive coordination in all areas. Yáñez stressed that the relationship with State Secretary of Public Security Alvar Cabeza de Vaca Apendinni is exemplary, and the municipal administration has had his full support it took office. There is liaison coverage between the all divisions of the state public security force: urban; tourist; road; rural police; air surveillance support; and police in the field and on the ground.
Yáñez noted that the relationship with the municipal prosecutor’s office also requires a lot of coordination and communication with various sectors, such as the National Guard, SEDENA (Secretaría de Defensa Nacional- Secretary of National Defense) the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Migration Institute. Lastly, Yáñez shared that when he took office in October he found a department that worked in isolation, without links or institutional coordination ties with the other three levels of government. Today there are good inter-institutional relations. They may only be by telephone or on paper, but they have had results.
On March 31, the presentation of the Strategic Security Plan was officially made to Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco, Secretary of Public Security of the State of Guanajuato Alvar Cabeza de Vaca Appendini, businessmen, and civil organizations.
