Protection, Integrity...Gutted

"Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD)'s motto, Proteccion, Integridad ("Protection, Integrity"), showcases these responsibilities and sets out PRPD's vision for ensuring the safety of the people of Puerto Rico while adhering to the highest professional, ethical, and legal standards. Unfortunately, far too many PRPD officers have broken their oath to uphold the rule of law, as they have been responsible for acts of crime and corruption and have routinely violated the constitutional rights of the residents of Puerto Rico. These officers have frequently subjected the very people they swore to protect to unreasonable force and unlawful searches and seizures. In addition, when faced with public demonstrations, PRPD relies on tactics that violate the free speech rights of demonstrators and the press.  

PRPD attacking protester, January 13, 2011 -  NewsObserver.com

The patterns and practices of civil rights violations we identified are profound. They are the result of chronic institutional and systemic deficiencies that directly contribute to repeated violations of the Constitution and federal law. PRPD does not currently provide its officers with sufficient or appropriate training, guidance, discipline, or supervision. As a result, PRPD both fails to equip its officers with the necessary skills to effectively serve the public and address officer misconduct in a timely or effective manner. Outdated policies and ineffective external oversight exacerbate PRPD's failure to ensure constitutional policing and contribute to continuing violations that erode the public's confidence in its efforts.  

To date, Puerto Rico has failed to adequately address the causes that contribute to both its unconstitutional law enforcement and ineffective policing. Puerto Rico must act decisively, transparently, and immediately to restore the public's trust and correct PRPD's pattern of unconstitutional policing. We have outlined the minimum measures necessary to remedy PRPD's pattern of constitutional violations. Implementing these steps, with the oversight of the federal courts, will place PRPD on the path to lasting reform and permit PRPD to meet its public safety challenges while respecting the constitutional rights of the people of Puerto Rico."

Here's the link to the full Department of Justice report, courtesy of the New York Times. The quote above is from page 111, the Conclusion to the report.

Allow Me to point out the salient phrase of this lengthy quote: the U.S. of part of A. Justice Department is recommending--with the force of law behind it--that the federal courts monitor the Puerto Rico Police Department. This comes after a very detailed, 133-item suggestion list, practically eviscerates the PRPD, laying out such a lengthy laundry list of "fix this" points that it amounts to a judgment of "'Cuz you are broke all over."

FBI arrests Puerto Rico police officers -- Reuters Photo

Last October, 90 members of the PRPD were arrested, by the FBI. I wrote at the time:

"We've lost the ability to police Ourselves, pun fucking intended. We're no longer a healthy society, capable of fighting off infection: We're sick, diseased and without outside help, We'd simply get worse. How's that for "Yo soy boricua" pride?...

...To be clear, this is not a case of "federal" vs. "local," or "American" vs. "boricua" or much less "oppressor" vs. "oppressed": it is a case of an "outside enforcer" doing what the "on-site enfeebled" can no longer do. It is a case of the proactive actor doing what the pathetic patient can't do... or won't. 

While We rearrange things to keep kids from learning and super-size the happiness levels of Our triple-handful of freeloaders, Let's notice--if only in passing--that We are losing Our society's ability to act in an adult, mature and self-responsible way, to the point where We don't give a cop's corrupt ass that it takes outsiders to do it."

Now We're being told--again--"You can't police yourselves." Pun fucking intended.

Damn it.



The Jenius Has Spoken.

[Update: 23 September 2011: The Federal Justice Department prepares to file suit seeking to appoint a federal-level monitor to supervise the changes in the PRPD.]

[Update: 5 October 2011: From The New York Times, an article on how the PRPD grossly manipulated crime statistics so that the Superintendent and his Larval boss could lie with bald faces and claim that the crime rate had dropped.]