Puerto Rico Police

Origins

The Puerto Rico Police traces its history back to 1837, when Spanish governor Francisco Javier de Moreda y Prieto created La Guardia Civil de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Civil Guard) to protect the lives and property of Puerto Ricans, who at the time were Spanish subjects. It provided police services to the entire island, although many municipalities maintained their own police force.

Since invading and taking possession of Puerto Rico in July 1898, as a result of the Spanish American War, the United States has controlled the island as a US territory. The Insular Police of Puerto Rico was created on February 21, 1899, under the command of Colonel Frank Thacher (US Marine officer during the Spanish American War), with an authorized strength of 313 sworn officers.

Quasi-military

In 1980, in accordance to Law 26 of 1974, it was described as "a quasi-military" organization of public safety, later to be changed by the "Puerto Rico Police Act" (Act No. 53) of 10 June 1996 as a "Civil Organization" of public safety as those on the US mainland.

In 1993, governor Pedro Roselló created a new plan to fight back crime called Mano Dura Contra el Crimen (or "Strong Hand Against Crime") in which Puerto Rico Police officers were assisted by the Puerto Rico National Guard in everything that involves police work, except police investigations. They were better known because of the raids that they made in housing complexes or "Caseríos" with rapid force and precision and also, the use of military vehicles and tactics. This program was put to the test from 1993 to 1996, but unfortunately, 48 police officers died in the line of duty. It was later activated again in 2004 by governor Sila María Calderón but not with the same intensity as in the early 1990s.

Reorganization

In 2009, Police Superintendent José Figueroa Sancha re-organized the Puerto Rico Police in terms of commanding officers and regional organization. Every police zone was changed to have two commanding officers: one in charge of the field operations, and the other in charge of investigations. Also, the name was changed from Police Zones to Police Regions. Also, a new policy of the agency was to get involved in the community. Officers must get out of their patrol cars and sometimes patrol on foot in neighborhoods, so they can talk to citizens and socialize, as well identify the problems that exist in the neighborhood.

In September 2009, the government of Puerto Rico suffered an economic crisis, which caused the dismissal of thousands of public employees. Many citizens' concern was that the dismissals of public employees would cause the level of criminal incidents to increase. Governor Luis Fortuño dismissed this concern. But in the last 3 months of the year 2009, crime increased dramatically, leading to the lists murders, commercial and house burglaries, and carjackings. The year 2009 ended with a total of 894 murders, that would be 74 murders more than those reported in 2008.

The year 2010 began with a rise in type 1 crimes (murder robberies, carjackings), leading the murder by family feuds and those related to the transfer of drugs and illegal weapons. In the first 14 days of 2010, there were 30 murders reported, an average of 15 per week. Because of this alarming crime wave, the Superintendent of police, José Figueroa Sancha met with his colonels, commanders and chiefs of the 13 police regions and specialized divisions to create a new anti-crime plan.

As of 2009, the PRPD has over 18,222 officers.

Rank structure

The Police Superintendent is the top commanding officer. He is one of five "head of government agencies" appointed by the governor of Puerto Rico. He leads the department and makes the orders to the agency, and also instructs the commanding officers for field operations.

Since 1899, police chiefs in Puerto Rico were appointed by the United States Government. Selecting the police chief was originally a responsibility of the commanding officer of the United States Army in Puerto Rico, who also served as the governor until 1900, when the Foraker Act was established. Afterwards, police chiefs were named by the U.S. Appointed Governor of Puerto Rico and the Chief of Police could serve in that position for not more than 4 years.

Law #77 converted the Puerto Rico Insular Police into the Puerto Rico Police Department on June 22, 1956. This converted the department from a quasi-military organization into a civil police force. The Chief of Police position was replaced by a Superintendent. Since then, the police superintendent has been named by the Governor of Puerto Rico.

The Associate Superintendent is the second in command. He follows every order from the superintendent, including if the superintendent cannot do some specific things that the second in command can do. Also, in case of sickness, disability or death, the Associate Superintendent assumes the position of Superintendent.

The Auxiliary Superintendent of Field Operations is in charge of every activity in the Puerto Rico Police Department that is related with the protection of life and property, maintaining law and order, the protection of civil rights and crime prevention, almost as a 2nd in command. He plans, coordinates, leads and controls all the operational actions on the prevention service phase with the integration of citizens in a common effort and meet the training-educational aspect of children and to prevent youth crime, in line with guidelines issued by the Superintendent. Also, he applies the public policy on rescuing the affected communities by groups linked to drug trafficking that took control of the perimeters of the public and private housing projects.

Divisions and bureaus

All divisions and bureaus are under the command of both the Superintendent and the Auxiliary Superintendent of Field Operations.

Criminal Investigation Corps

Formed in the early 1970s, this unit has been in charge of investigating crimes in Puerto Rico. Its agents are mostly veteran officers, or young officers who recently graduated from the academy. All 13 police regions in Puerto Rico have this bureau. Most of its cases have been from robberies and homicides. The bureau's divisions include:

Drugs Division

The Drugs Division is an elite unit that takes the fight to the enemy's doorstep. These officers impact the places where drug dealers sell the narcotics, called Drug Points. In this hostile and dangerous environment, officers have been frequently attacked by drug point shooters, making it the highest risk unit of the Puerto Rico Police Department. This division is also a Vice Unit that also attacks prostitution, illegal weapons and other special cases.

Highway Patrol Bureau

The Highway Patrol Bureau is divided into three divisions: the Radar and Alcohol Detection Unit, the Expressway Patrol Unit, and the Metro Rail Unit. The first two divisions share the same primary objectives of preventing and investigating traffic accidents, arresting drunk drivers, arresting street racers and confiscating vehicles used for street racing. The Metro Rail Unit specifically protects the San Juan Metropolitan Area Rail System, or "Tren Urbano" in Spanish.

Joint Forces of Rapid Action

The Joint Forces of Rapid Action —Spanish: Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (FURA)— is a bureau that coordinates and leads all strategies to fight the trafficking of drugs, narcotics, illegal weapons and illegal aliens. Specialized divisions within the bureau include: Air Support, Divers, Rescue, S.W.A.T., K-9 and Horseback units. The Bureau also coordinates with US federal agencies to fight crime.

Motorized Impact Unit

The Motorized Impact Unit is a subdivided unit that comes from the Traffic Bureau and the Tactical Operations Unit. Deployed on motorcycles with the blue uniform and D.O.T. patch, unit members are easily identified. They are the first on the scene of a riot, taking control of the situation until the main D.O.T. squads arrive.

Organized Crime Bureau

The Organized Crime Bureau conducts strategic research in the field of organized crime in Puerto Rico.

Robbery and Bank Fraud Division

Organized in 1982, this division investigates robbery and fraud attempts committed against companies dedicated to the storage or custody of money or valuables. The division also coordinates the Amber Alert system and investigates all kidnappings.

Security and Protection Office

This unit is the Dignitary Protective Services Division of the Puerto Rico Police Department. They have been charged with protecting the Governor of Puerto Rico and his family, the Secretary of State, the Police Superintendent, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House. Additionally, they protect the Resident Commissioner, Puerto Rico's only representative in the U.S. Congress, as well as other visiting government dignitaries, U.S. and foreign. They have also been charged with investigating individuals who apply for security guard licenses on the island, as well as certain individuals requesting a concealed carry permit. O.S.P. officers dress in plain clothes, usually dark suits, and wear a small gold circular lapel pin. If studied closely, it can be seen that this pin is the agent's badge.

Uniformed agents are also assigned to the office. These agents have been mostly assigned to motorcycle units, and as advance agents.

Of all the Police units in Puerto Rico, this unit has been possibly the most elite in the force. Agents assigned to it have been trusted with the protection of the most important government officials on the island. Thus, most of the agents on the unit came from SWAT, Tactical Operations, Criminal Investigations Corps (CIC), Homicide Detectives and the best of the PRPD Highway Patrol.

Special Arrest and Extraditions Division

This division has been in charge of:

Tactical Operations Division

The Tactical Operations Division (TOD) —commonly called Fuerza de Choque (English: Shock Force)— is a well-known unit within the Puerto Rico Police. Its "hands-on" tactics for crowd control, the unit's primary mission, have been infamous among Puerto Ricans, most noticeably where physical control of large gatherings people is necessary to prevent disorder or to restore order. Fuerza de Choque’s historic manner in dealing with crowd-control situations throughout its years of service has earned it criticism and complaints about civil-rights violations.

Litigation and legislation during the past years has brought improvements to the division’s control techniques, reducing complaints and injuries, while improving its public image. Title 42 of the United States Code (Section 14141), prohibits law enforcement officers from depriving individuals of rights protected by U.S. law.

Members of the D.O.T. are selected, from the main police force, based on their reputation of being hard-working, tolerant and patient officers, not easily provoked or over-zealous. Besides having the leadership traits of a model, modern police officer, Fuerza-de-Choque candidates must meet the minimum height requirement of 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) or be talented in martial arts or another form of self defense. Besides crowd and riot control duties, Fuerza de Choque officers perform search and rescue, disaster and directed patrol operations. Its membership may be found within the ranks of the regular police force (patrol/investigations) as well as in full time SWAT teams.

Many citizens of Puerto Rico have been aware of the unit's "heavy-handed" reputation. The mere presence of a platoon of Fuerza de Choque’s impressively fit officers wearing black berets, sharp uniforms and "spit-shined" boots is cause for a melting pot of feelings; admiration and respect as well as apprehension and distrust. Nevertheless, Fuerza de Choque’s mission of crowd control has been the same throughout its service history, and it could be loosely characterized as successful; therefore, the unit remains an important resource to police field commanders throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Police regions

The Puerto Rico Police is regionally divided into 13 police regions to provide better service to the public. Each region has a commanding officer and 2 sub-commanding officers; one for investigation, and the other for field operations. The police regions are:

Aguadilla

Located at #463 Victoria Avenue in Aguadilla, the region is in charge of protecting the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico. It covers the towns of Moca, San Sebastian, Aguada, Rincon, Isabela, Aguadilla and the Ramey ward in Aguadilla. It has one of the lowest crime-incidence rates in Puerto Rico. Since it is located in the Mona passage, the region works in union with US federal agencies, such as ATF, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and mostly with the U.S. Border Patrol. The region is composed of many specialized units, such as: OSP, DOT, DOE, Highway Patrol, FURA, CIC, SORT and Vice Unit.

Aibonito

The Aibonito police region is the most recent police region in Puerto Rico. Created on October 1, 2003, it covers the towns of Barranquitas, Comerio, Orocovis, Coamo and Aibonito, where the headquarters are located at #198 Julio Rosario St. This police region was in the past divided by other police regions such as Bayamón and Caguas. This area is not a "high incidence crime area" because of the geographical location; there is some incidence of crime such as drugs and breaking and entering. The major problems in the area are car accidents and auto thieves. Structurally the region is composed by 5 police districts and a Police Post located in the Hayales village in Coamo. The specialized units are: Auto Thief Division, Highway Patrol, CIC, Athletic Youth League (Relations with the community), Vice Unit, and both Special and Tactical Operations Division.

Arecibo

With headquarters located at 300# E. Hostos Avenue in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, this region protects the towns of the northern half of Puerto Rico, serving the towns of Arecibo, Hatillo, Camuy, Quebradillas, Barceloneta, Florida, Manatí, Ciales and Morovis. As well as a diamond of the north, the Arecibo police region is well known by the roaring waves of the Atlantic Ocean, but also of the floods that normally cross the neighbors "(barrios)" of these towns. Also, drug and weapons flow normally through the low-class residential neighborhoods, such as El Coto in Arecibo. But arrest modes in this area have been very successful. The region is composed of 8 police districts, 2 precincts and 2 police posts in Sabana Hoyos. Also it has specialized units such as: Highway Patrol, Maritime Division, CIC and Rescue Unit.

Bayamón

The Bayamón Police Region is the Puerto Rico Police Department region for the western San Juan Metropolitan Area and the one half of northern Puerto Rico.

It is composed of the towns of: Cataño, Corozal, Dorado, Guaynabo, Naranjito, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Vega Alta, Vega Baja and Bayamón. This last one is where the regional headquarters are located at #200 State Road PR-28 in the Luchetti Industrial Park.

The precincts that compose the Bayamón region are: North Bayamón, West Bayamón, South Bayamón, Juan Domingo (Guaynabo), Levittown (Toa Baja), and Cedro arriba, Naranjito.

This region, in crime-related terms, is turning to a highly criminal area, specifically between west Bayamón and Toa Baja; this area is controlled in the drug world by drug lord Angelo M. Ayala, better known as "Angelo Millones". In the beginning of the summer of 2009, a bloody massacre left 3 people dead, one of them was a 17-year-old kid. Since then, US federal authorities such as DEA and ATF, and state agencies as P.R.P.D. and N.I.E. have been at war with this man. He has been one of the most wanted men in Puerto Rico by state and federal agencies. The Bayamón police region is structurally composed of 9 police precincts and 7 police districts. It also has specialized units as: Auto Thief Division, CIC, Highway Patrol, Tactical Operations Division, Special Operations Division and Vice Unit.

Caguas

The Caguas Police Region is the police region for the central-eastern part of Puerto Rico. The region is composed by the towns of: San Lorenzo, Juncos, Aguas Buenas, Cidra, Gurabo and Caguas, this last one is where region headquarters are located at José Mercado Avenue and the corner Cristobal Colón Street. The area is also where the main campus of the Puerto Rico Criminal Justice College (Puerto Rico Police Department Academy) is located, in the town of Gurabo. The region is structurally composed of six police districts. It also has specialized units such as: Highway Patrol, Tactical Operations Division, Auxiliary Police, Special Operations Division and CIC.

Carolina

Located east of San Juan, the Carolina police region serves the eastern part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area, and most of the towns on the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. This region covers the towns of Canóvanas, Loiza, Trujillo Alto and Carolina, making this last one as command center. Their command offices are located at 214 W. Arzuaga St. in the downtown area of Carolina. This area protects the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, as well as many hotels and tourist sites. Most of criminal activity is located in the areas between east Carolina, Loiza and west of Canóvanas. The Carolina police region have many specialized units, as Highway Patrol, Tactical Operations Division, CIC, FURA maritime and horseback division, and Turistic Police.

Fajardo

Created on September 6, 1997, the Fajardo police region is composed by the towns in the eastern tip of Puerto Rico, including the island-municipalities of Viques and Culebra. The towns covered by this region are: Luquillo, Ceiba, Rio Grande, Vieques, Culebra and Fajardo. Their headquarters are located at #99 E. Victoria St. in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. A significant distinction of this region from the 13 other regions in Puerto Rico, is the protection and enforcement of the island-municipalities of Vieques (located 16 miles or 26 kilometres east of Puerto Rico), and Culebra (17 miles east of Puerto Rico). Because of the islands' distance from Puerto Rico, they are easy places for drug connections from South America and North America. This is why most of these areas are protected with a coordination of U.S. Federal Agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (A.T.F.). This region also is responsible for the protection of the Caribbean National Forest, also known as "El Yunque" coordinated by the local United States Park Police and the Puerto Rico Police Department. It has 5 police districts, 1 police post located at the village of Palmer in Rio Grande, it also has many specialist units such as Highway Patrol, Vice Unit, Special Operation and Tactical Operations Division, Maritime division, Transportation, Community Relations and Auto Theft Division.

Guayama

The Guayama police region is the Puerto Rico Police region for the southeastern half of Puerto Rico. It covers the towns of: Salinas, Cayey, Patillas, Arroyo and Guayama. This last one is where the regional headquarters are located at Jose M. Torres Avenue, South Detour. The region evolved from the police regions of Ponce and Humacao in the late 1980s. Mostly composed of farm communities and small urban areas, the region has been 9th in criminal activity. It is structurally composed of 5 police districts. The region has different specialized units. It has CIC (Criminal Investigations Corps), two Highway Patrol stations, two maritime unit stations, Auto Thief Division, Tactical Operations Division, Community Relations, Drug and Weapons Unit (Vice Unit) and a shooting range.

Humacao

The Humacao police region is the Puerto Rico Police Department region for the southeastern part of Puerto Rico. It covers the towns of: Naguabo, Yabucoa, Las Piedras, Maunabo and Humacao. This last one is where the regional headquarters are located at the corner of State Road 908 and Boire Street. This region is one of the first 4 regions established under law #77 of June 22, 1956. The region was quiet, but also with criminal activity not as dangerous as the San Juan Metropolitan Area. The region is structurally composed of 5 police districts; it also has specialized units such as: Highway Patrol, Tactical Operations Division, Vice Unit, Auto Thief, Community Relations, Special Operations Division and CIC.

But on August 10, 2007, Tactical Operations Division officer Javier Pagán Cruz shot and killed a community leader identified as Miguel A. Cáceres. The incident occurred when Miguel stopped traffic at an intersection of State Road PR-3 to let a motorcade of a quincieañera pass. When police were passing by to investigate the situation, officer Págan questioned Miguel about his actions. Officer Págan determined that he was in violation of the law including insulting a female officer. He proceeded to arrest him, but Miguel resisted arrest. Miguel was on the floor resisting, while Págan and 2 more officers beat him. When officer Págan went for his gun, Miguel tried to grab it. The gun discharged, killing Miguel instantly, but officer Págan continued shooting him. The whole scene was captured on video. All 3 officers from the Humacao Tactical Operations Division were discharged from the force. This created a bad image on the region. But since this incident, the region is involved in both crime prevention and community resources.

Mayagüez

With their headquarters located at Corazones Avenue in Mayagüez, the Mayagüez police region serves the towns of the western and southwestern tip of Puerto Rico. Those towns are: Mayagüez, Añasco, Las Marias, Maricao, Sabana Grande, Hormigueros, San German, Cabo Rojo and Lajas. This region very well known for the arrival of illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic who cross the Mona Passage. For that reason, the whole of western Puerto Rico is protected by a combination of US agencies such as the US Border Patrol and DEA During the Holy Week and in summer seasons, this region is fully innudated by tourists and residents that pack this area for the beaches to escape the sizzling hot weather, which makes a lot of work for the police in this area. The Mayagüez police region its composed by two precincts (North Mayagüez and South Mayagüez), 8 police districts and 1 police post located at the Boqueron Village in Cabo Rojo. Also it has specialized units such as: O.S.P. Security and Protection Office, Special Operations Division, Vice Unit, Illegal Weapons Division, Tactical Operations Division, Highway Patrol, S.O.R.T. Team (Special Operations Response Team), as well as Horseback and Maritime division from FURA.

Ponce

The Ponce Region is the second-largest police region of Puerto Rico. It covers the towns of Yauco, Juana Díaz, Santa Isabel, Villalba, Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Guanica and Ponce. Its headquarters were located at 500 Hostos Avenue in the city of Ponce, but on 23 February 2011 it inaugurated new facilities in sector Vallas Torres, near Urbanizacion Los Caobos, at the intersection of PR-1 and PR-52. The Ponce Regional Headquarters have been outfitted to serve as alternate operational headquarters of the Puerto Rico Police in the event that an emergency or crisis renders the San Juan headquarters inoperable. It is currently also the backup site for the Puerto Rico Police electronic records databases. The region is composed of five precincts, six police districts, the southern headquarters of FURA including its maritime division located in the port of Ponce, and an aerial division located at Mercedita Airport. Precincts located in the municipality of Ponce are at:

San Juan

The most populated area in Puerto Rico, the capital is an area with a high crime incidence. With regional offices located at the Puerta de Tierra district in the San Juan Islet, this police region is composed of only the city of San Juan. The majority of sworn officers of the Puerto Rico Police Department work in the San Juan Region precincts and specialized divisions. San Juan has 11 precincts protecting its residents and visitors. The home of the Puerto Rico Police Department Headquarters, located in the West Hato Rey district, houses the rest of the specialized units; it is also home for the FURA air station in Isla Grande Airport. The specialized units have included: FURA, Highway Patrol, CIC, Auto Thief Division, Special Operations Division, Tactical Operations Division, Community Relations Division, Domestic Violence Division, Special Arrest Division, Public Integrity Division, Internal Affairs, Port Police and the Office of Security and Protection (protection for the governor and his family). The following are the precincts comprising the San Juan region.

Utuado

Serving an estimated 106,000 inhabitants divided into 4 towns, the Utuado Police Region is the biggest police region in Puerto Rico, in terms of geographical terrain. It serves the towns of Lares, Jayuya, Adjuntas and Utuado, with region headquarters located at #11 Gubermental St. in Utuado. The region is structurally divided into: 5 precincts (Lares, Castañer, Utuado, Angeles and Mameyes), and two police districts (Jayuya and Adjuntas). The region has had many specialized units, including: Cycle Patrol, Highway Patrol, Tactical Operations Division, Domestic Violence Unit and CIC.

Controversies

In September 2010, the FBI conducted raids across Puerto Rico, arresting many members of the PRPD and other local police agencies as part of Operation Guard Shack.

A September 2011, United States Department of Justice (US DOJ) investigation found that the PRPD engaged in patterns of misconduct that violate the Constitution and federal law and that "the constitutional violations [that the US DOJ] uncovered are pervasive and plague all levels of PRPD." In July 2013, the Puerto Rico Police entered into an agreement with the US DOJ to implement a series of reforms.

In June 2012, the American Civil Liberties Union has said "the [Puerto Rico Police Department] is steeped in a culture of unrestrained abuse and near-total impunity."

Ponce massacre

On March 21, 1937, more than 30 officers placed themselves in an intersection in downtown Ponce to block a march by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party to celebrate the abolition of slavery and protest the incarceration of their leader Pedro Albizu Campos. As the demonstrators marched, singing La Borinqueña (Puerto Rico's national anthem), General Blanton Winship, the U.S. appointed governor of Puerto Rico, ordered Chief of Police Guillermo Soldevilla to open fire on the protesters. In the massacre that lasted 15 minutes, 19 people died, including a seven-year-old girl. This and other incidents involving the Insular Police fueled the Puerto Rico independence movement, leading to the burning of police stations and post offices in 1950, and the Jayuya Uprising.

In popular media

The Puerto Rican police is showcased on The Travel Channel's reality show, Border Rico.