Public safety is a fundamental responsibility of all governments, as it helps ensure the well-being and security of the general public and businesses.
Maintaining law and order provides a sense of security to residents, business owners, and visitors, allowing them to live their daily lives, run their businesses, and engage in a variety of activities with peace of mind. Beyond policing and crime control, the public is also assisted when accidents, unforeseen emergencies, and natural disasters occur.
Public safety also supports economic activity by allowing people to work, businesses to function, and investments to be made in tourism, infrastructure, and other areas.
In Puerto Rico, the Public Safety government umbrella includes the following six agencies: Police Bureau, Fire Bureau, Medical Emergencies Bureau, Emergency and Disaster Management Bureau, 9-1-1 Service Board, and Special Investigations Unit. In total, these agencies employ nearly 15,000 public servants islandwide.
Understanding how crucial public safety is for the people of Puerto Rico, the Financial Oversight and Management Board continues to support initiatives that strengthen this important area, primarily benefitting police officers and firefighters.
For example, the Oversight Board recently approved a $10.1 million budget increase for the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPB) to cover the purchase of 2,000 bulletproof vests to replace those that had expired, 2,000 body cameras, and an increase in the costs of a previously approved purchase of a CESNA airplane for the Rapid Action United Forces. This funding allocation will come from the central government’s Puerto Rico Trust Fund.
In approving the funds, the Oversight Board noted that the PRPB “should develop a plan to allocate recurring resources that support the periodic replacement of expired bulletproof vests. Additionally, the PRPB should develop a strategy to gradually increase the number of body cameras each year, plan for their future replacement based on their useful life, and identify the recurring funding needed to sustain these efforts.”
The Oversight Board also approved a separate $12.735 million request from the Department of Public Safety to facilitate a one-time purchase of uniforms for the Police and Fire Bureaus. With this budget approval, an estimated 11,000 active police officers and 2,000 firefighters will receive new hats, boots, belts, long- and short-sleeve shirts, pants, and jackets. Providing the new equipment will also address underlying safety concerns. In recent years, police officers and firefighters were given a $400 yearly stipend to buy their uniform items from a list of approved suppliers. However, while the suppliers meet the basic requirements, there are some differences in the color and overall look of the items. As a result, this could create some doubts and concerns from the general public, as uniformed police are not using completely identical uniforms. Additionally, $400 a year is not enough to replace a full uniform; as this amount barely covers new boots.
This is the first time active police officers will be provided brand-new uniforms in about 12 years. In recent years, only Police Academy cadets have been provided with a full set of new uniforms.
Following this one-time purchase of uniforms, the Department of Public Safety must submit to the Oversight Board a plan on how it will address its recurring need for uniforms for the Police and Fire Bureaus, along with an estimate of the recurring costs.
Another request that the Oversight Board approved and that will also benefit agencies that focus on public safety in Puerto Rico provides $14.063 million to cover the repairs and reconstruction costs of the Hato Rey Police headquarters, El Tuque Police station in Ponce, and general repairs to multiple Police Bureau stations across the Island. The Public Buildings Authority requested the funds and indicated that $9 million will be invested at the Hato Rey Police headquarters to address urgent repairs to the air conditioning system, electrical repairs, roof and window repairs and remodeling of bathrooms. The project should be completed in less than two years.
The funding source for the two budgetary requests for new uniforms and renovations to the Hato Rey headquarters and other police stations is the Puerto Rico Trust Fund, which is under the responsibility of the Treasury Department.
The Oversight Board also approved another $7.231 million request from the Public Buildings Authority to cover the costs for the modernization of the Loíza Street Police station in San Juan. The extensive work for this police station includes painting the exterior, installing new light posts and other lighting, replacing a fence and access gate, putting in bulletproof doors and windows, improving jail cell bars, replacing toilets, and setting up 12 security cameras and a fire alarm. Additionally, the electrical system will be renovated, a new generator and water cistern will be installed, as well as a new air conditioning system. According to the details provided within the request, this project will take 19 months to complete. The funds for this project on Calle Loíza are being reassigned from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s Special Revenue Funds.
Public safety is essential for both the general public and businesses. It not only ensures personal safety and community well-being, but also supports economic development by creating secure and attractive environments for investment and tourism. Because economic development is essential to Puerto Rico’s future and the safety of the island’s residents is fundamental to quality of life, the Oversight Board will continue to work with the Puerto Rico Government to support the public safety agencies.
