Internal Traffic
Affairs Unit
Lacks Resources
And Manpower To
Investigate
Crooked Traffic
Cops
The Ley de
Tránsito
(traffic law)
calls for harsh
sanctions
against crooked
traffic cops,
that can see
being removed
from their posts
in months
instead of years
before the new
law went into on
March 1, 2010.
That is partly
due to the
creation of a
special unit
within the
Ministerio de
Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT)
that is
dedicated to
taking in public
complaints and
investigate
allegations of
corruption from
traffic cops who
demand and/or
take brides from
motorists.
The creation of
the internal
affairs unit is
to handle any
increase in
corruption by
traffic
officials, due
to the high
fines now faced
by drivers.
However, there
is one slight
problem. The
unit does not
have the
financial
resources to do
its job well. In
fact, according
to a report in
La Nación, the
unit doesn't
even have a
telephone line
for citizens to
lodge
complaints.
In addition, the
unit is made up
only one person,
yes, one person,
the director of
the unit,
Margarita
Vázquez, who is
working out of
the office of
the viceministra
de Transportes,
Rosarua Montero.
Vázquez said
that the hiring
of staff has
been slow,
mainly due to
the fact the
hiring is being
made through the
civil service.
When fully
staffed, the
unit will be
made up of two
criminologists
and three
lawyers who will
handle all
complaints and
investigations
against alleged
corruption.
Vázquez
confirmed that,
although her
unit is not up
and running per
se, seven
traffic
officials are
under
investigation.
The director
would not name
the officers,
nor the
circumstances of
the corruption.
Another problem
is the fact that
the public
barely knows
about the unit
and that they
can make
complaints,
confidentially,
against crooked
traffic cops.
And although the
unit doesn't
have a telephone
of its own,
Vázquez said
calls can be
made to the MOPT
central offices.
For his part,
the director of
the Policía de
Tránsito, Germán
Marín, said that
in addition to
the new internal
affairs unit,
there are other
mechanisms to
investigate
alleged
corruption by
traffic
officials such
as the Fuerza
Pública (police)
and the
Organismo de
Investigación
Judicial (OIJ).
In the past
months a number
of crooked
traffic cops
have been
detained by
police.
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