Ministry of Government and Municipality of Quito set four working groups on security matters

The situation of insecurity and violence facing the capital It was discussed by national and local authorities on the afternoon of January 11, during the meeting of the Inter-institutional Security Commission of the Metropolitan District of Quito.

At the meeting four work tables were established that will mark the agenda for the entire year, in order to provide solutions to problems, announced the Vice Minister of the Interior, Max Campos, who described the details of each issue.

• Operational coordination: between the National Police and the Municipality in aspects of protection, prevention, security and citizen coexistence. It will be oriented towards strengthening the Citizen Security Plan of the Quito Cabildo, and will be anchored to national policy, to work in critical points of the city where crime and violence are more focused.
• Institutional strengthening: Through current agreements, the Mayor’s Office, through Security, will provide the necessary resources and equipment for the Police.
• Regulatory development: creation of the municipal ordinance that regulates and sanctions the carrying of knives in the Metropolitan District, since, according to figures from the Ministry of Government, the majority of deaths due to interpersonal violence in the city have to do with knives.
• Joint work between the Security Observatory of the DMQ and the Undersecretary of Studies of the Ministry of Government: to investigate and analyze the causes and risk factors that exist in the capital.

Each table shall present to the Commission a action schedule to reduce insecurity rates. There will be a monthly meeting throughout the year, to know the progress made.

Campos mentioned that the Ministry of Government believes it necessary to make a evaluation of the operational management model with which the Police is managed, to enter a restructuring process that will involve a redesign of new circuits and sub-circuits, according to the current conditions of the population. That will encompass, for example, the relocation of the Community Police Units (UPC).

“More than 63% of all crimes with the highest incidence in the MDQ occur in public spaces. In crime and violence prevention we must work together. Public spaces must be properly designed. Another risk factor for the existence of interpersonal violence is the alcohol consumption in public space. Most of the problems of fights and violent deaths occur with knives, for that reason it is necessary that the ordinance be created, “said the Vice Minister of the Interior.

From the town it was announced that in the coming months 128 motorcycles will be delivered to the Police. In addition, it was announced that the Rayos de Quito operations will continue this year.

With respect to knife control ordinance, Mayor Santiago Guarderas reported that the next Tuesday, January 18, the topic will be known to the Metropolitan Council in a first debate. After that, the initiative will return to the Security Commission, for its adaptation, in the face of a second and definitive debate of the building body.

Additionally, Guarderas confirmed that the Cabildo will rehabilitate approximately 24 UPC and it is planned to intervene in the Community Surveillance Units (UVC), with the intention that Metropolitan Control Agents can also be found in these spaces.

“I have always asked the president (Guillermo Lasso), to the Minister of Government (Alexandra Vela) and to the Vice Minister (Max Campos) that we have the largest number of police officers in the DMQ. The fact of being able to collaborate with the UPC and UVC is for the purpose of to equip us with more police”Commented the mayor.

What complementary measures to recover public spacesGuarderas explained that, through an agreement with the Quito Electric Company, 46 parks in the city will be illuminated in February and March of this year. And the City is awarding a $ 3 million contract to rehabilitate 176 parks. (I)