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Where it all begins!
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INSIDECOSTARICA
| Tuesday 07 September 2010 |
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Police
in Costa
Rica
With One
Hand
Tied
Behind
Their
Back
Following
Court
Ruling
"El
burro amarrado
y el
tigre
anda
suelto"
(the
donkey
tied and
the
tiger on
the
loose)
is the
headline
in
today's
Spanish
language
daily,
Al Día,
in
reference
to the
latest
decision
of the
Sala
Constitucional
prohibiting
the
Fuerza
Pública
(police)
to hold
checkpoints
without
cause.
The
ministro
de
Seguridad
Pública,
José
María
Tijerino,
describes
the
court
decision
as tying
the
right
hands of
the
police
to act
against
criminals.
According
to Elías
Carranza,
crimonologist
and
director
of the
Ilanud
in an
opinion
published
in La
Nación,
crime in
Costa
Rica has
been on
the
increase
since
the
1990's,
saying
that
homicides
have
multiplied
by 2.5
times
between
1992 and
2009,
with a
current
rate of
11.1
murders
per
100.000
inhabitants
from 4.4
in 1990.
In
addition
to the
indignation
of
Tijerino
against
the
court
decision,
Costa
Rica's
presidenta,
Laura
Chinchila,
also
displayed
her
displeasure,
saying
"the
court
has
instructed
and we
have no
option
but to
obey,
but it
is
clearly
another
stone in
the path
against
fighting
crime
which is
the main
problem
faced by
the
country
today."
Last
week the
Sala
Constitucional
ruled in
favour
of an
Escazú
man who
filed an
appeal
that his
constitutional
right to
free
movement
were
impeded
when he
was
stopped
and
searched
at
police
checkpoint.
The man,
a
lawyer,
argued
that the
police
action
is not
legal in
Costa
Rica.
The
court
agreed
and
ordered
as stop
to all
police "retenes"
(checkpoints)
unless
they
have
cause,
that is
there is
evidence
of the
commission
of a
crime.
Minister
Tijerino
assured
that the
police
will
heed to
the
court
decision.
The
minister
added
that an
added
police
presence
will be
increased
in
"conflictive"
areas.
During a
press
conference
Monday
afternoon,
the
minister
Tijerino
said
that
they
looking
for
alternate
action
to
continue
combating
against
crime
and
those
actions
may
include
checkpoints,
but
without
inspecting
the
interior
of
vehicles.
"In
every
part of
the
world
there
are
police
checkpoints",
said
minister
Tijerino.
The
minister
assures
that the
checkpoints
have
reduced
crimes
with the
confiscation
of
weapons
and
arrests
of
wanted
criminals
caught
during
routine
checks.
"We have
recovered
stolen
property
and have
confiscated
weapons
and
drugs"
said the
minister
during
the
press
conference.
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Costa Rica's Daily English News
Source
Apdo. 2133-1000, San José, Costa
Rica
Tel: (506) 2231 3205 / (506) 8399
9642
Fax: (506) 2232 6337
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