Police Reform: The key points that the reform would have – Congress – Politics

The death of Javier Ordóñez, at the hands of two policemen who subjected him in a case of abuse of force, and what happened on Wednesday night when seven people died and hundreds were injured in the middle of demonstrations it led the political sectors to propose a “structural” reform to the Police in the country.

Although modifications may be made within the institution to improve the institution’s protocols, any deep and structural reform will necessarily require passing through the Congress of the Republic. For this reason, several legislators have already begun to raise the key points that this reform should have.

(See also: They ask to reform the Police, after case of abuse of force)

These are the elements in which the political sectors coincide:

Modify behaviors

The reforms that must be made, according to the forces of Congress, have to do with modifying behaviors such as blows to the head of those people who are not armed, those people who are defenseless or do not pose a greater risk to people’s integrity.

“Strangulation maneuvers, the use of certain non-lethal weapons such as ‘tasers’ must be regulated,” said Congressman Inti Asprilla, in dialogue with EL TIEMPO.

Selection

Another element that will be key in the reform has to do with the selection and training that members of the National Police receive.

“President Duque, present today structural reform to the Police, which modifies recruitment, training and sanction systems ”, said the representative of Cambio Radical, José Daniel López.

The liberal senator Guillermo García Realpe and that of ‘the U’ Armando Benedetti agreed on this, who consider that it should be guaranteed that those who wear the uniform “are integral policemen.”

Training in use of force

The Congress of the Republic is already processing a bill that seeks to ensure that law enforcement officials receive constant training to avoid the use of force in actions related to their mission.

“The training referred to in this article will be given annually and must contain training in national and international standards in protocols for the use of force. and citizen coexistence and must include, at least, the following aspects: Human Rights, non-discrimination, gender perspective and differential population, citizen culture, negotiation and conflict resolution ”, indicates the initiative of the representative Katherine Miranda.

Independent oversight

One of the biggest criticisms of the police procedures is that of the investigations that are carried out after a case of police abuse. On many occasions, the results of these processes are not known.

“Faced with the disciplinary issue, an instance must be created, not a new one, but an oversight that monitors those processes and, in any case, request the exercise of preferential power by the Attorney General’s Office because the truth is that in the disciplinary justice of the police there is a lot of impunity and the handling of those complaints that are presented never give a report ”, expressed the representative Inti Asprilla.

See more about what happened with the Police

– What is the reform of the Police that is enlisted in Congress?

– Controversy between Petro and Uribistas for violence in protests

POLITICS