The creation of a municipal police force on Sal Island, Cape Verde’s most visited island by tourists, will begin in 2023, and the municipality has approved a financial allocation of around 250,000 euros for this purpose.
This measure is included in next year’s budget of the Salsk Chamber, approved by the municipal assembly, and aims to put into action the establishment of this police force, planned from 2020, since the process of recruiting agents has already begun in recent weeks.
“It is integrated into the municipal budget for 2023 as a municipal organic structure with an allocation of $27,692,752.96. [250 mil euros] for its first year of operation as a municipal public safety structure,” reads a document seen by Lusa this Thursday.
In February 2020, just before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic in Cape Verde, which paralyzed tourism activities in the country in the following months, Lusa announced the intention of this municipality to establish a municipal police force of up to 70 members. investment of more than three million euros.
According to the decision of the Municipal Assembly, which created the Sala Municipal Police and came into force in March of the same year, this will be the first in the country, since it is a police force whose mission is to ensure the public interest. municipality. .
This police force will have its headquarters in the city of Santa Maria and a nucleus in the city of Espargos with a staff of 70 in the first phase of the operation, expected until 2023, at a rate of two for every thousand inhabitants, as envisaged by law.
“If objective circumstances so require, the City Council may submit a motion to the Municipal Assembly requesting, on behalf of the Municipality, the government member responsible for the local authority area to recognize Sal as a municipality. with accentuated tourist characteristics, which allows changing the ratio from two to three effective per thousand inhabitants living in Sala,” the meeting says.
The installation phase provides for 30 employees, distributed among eight officers, six graduates and 16 agents.
Under a protocol signed on May 13, the Cape Verdean government wants to bring more peace and security to residents and tourists visiting Sal Island, with the creation of a municipal police force due later this year.
The protocol establishing the Municipal Police of Sala was signed by the ministers of tourism and transport, Carlos Santos and the internal administration, Paulo Rocha, as well as the president of the local municipal council, Julio López.
For the Minister of Tourism and Transport of Cape Verde, the goal is to ensure safety and tranquility not only for residents, but also for tourists who are looking for the island.
“Therefore, we will have to make these efforts together with local partners, the population, businessmen, so that we have a calm country, a peaceful country, so that we can continue to be a favorite place for many,” he urged.
In turn, Interior Minister Paulo Rocha recalled that the prime minister is a long-standing desire of Sala, who will have a diverse range of powers, namely to ensure the implementation of decisions of municipal bodies.
Sala Mayor Julio López stressed that this police force will step up preventive and inspection activities to ensure the peace of mind of residents and tourists.
“People must move, people must work, they must live, they must visit peacefully, no one can interfere with anyone, because without peace there is no development,” the mayor said.
The project budget for the municipal police of Sala is about 42 million escudos (380 thousand euros), of which 10 million escudos are for investment and the rest for operation during the first year.
According to the protocol, the municipality of Sal has four months to create conditions for the effective deployment of the municipal police in the municipality, so this is expected to take place in the last quarter of the year.
The project budget for the installation and operation of the Sala Municipal Police is 10.5 million escudos (96 thousand euros) financed through the Tourism Fund, of which about 4.3 million escudos are for installation and 6.2 million for annual operating costs.
The regulations of this police provide for the use and possession of firearms by agents, but “only for protection”, as a means of coercion, in addition to a baton and handcuffs.
According to the decree, the municipal police of Sala will be responsible for “supervising the observance of municipal regulations and municipal regulations”, as well as car parking and enforcement of administrative acts by the municipal authorities, in this case with the coordination and support of the security forces. ., if “resistance or a change in the social order is foreseen.”
Among other duties, these agents will also be able to prepare news reports, administrative offenses or offenses for committed offenses, and intervene in environmental, traffic, economic, medical, urban and rural police activities.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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