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Friday, April 15, 2011

Pierluisi Introduces Legislation to Increase the Number of Federal Law
Enforcement Agents in U.S. Jurisdictions With High Crime Levels

Washington, DC- The Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, has introduced legislation to direct both the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to establish a program to recruit, assign, and retain individuals to serve in federal law enforcement positions in jurisdictions that are experiencing high rates of homicides and other violent crimes.

Pierluisi filed the bill, the Federal Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Act of 2011, with Representative Michael Grimm (R-NY), who served as an FBI agent for nine years. The legislation is also co-sponsored by Representatives José Serrano (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), and Mike Quigley (D-IL). The bill has the important endorsement of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents 25,000 federal law enforcement officers from over 65 different federal agencies.

“This bill is my latest effort to increase the federal resources devoted to combating crime in Puerto Rico and to mitigate the existing disparities between the federal resources dedicated to the Island and those dedicated to the States. On many previous occasions I have expressed my concern with the present state of affairs and I will continue to do so until there is substantial improvement,” said the Resident Commissioner.

In the States, there is an average of 36 federal officers per 100,000 residents, whereas in Puerto Rico that number is only 31.

“The homicide rate in Puerto Rico is unacceptably high and the fact that there are not sufficient federal resources being brought to bear to prevent and respond to violence on the Island is also unacceptable,” said Pierluisi.

According to Pierluisi, it is imperative that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security increase the number of authorized positions among their component agencies in Puerto Rico and other high-crime jurisdictions, and that they undertake intensive efforts to expeditiously fill those positions. The Resident Commissioner observed, for example, that nearly 20% of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authorized positions in Puerto Rico are currently unfilled, and that almost 25% of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s authorized positions on the Island are presently vacant.

“When it is general knowledge that the great majority of homicides in Puerto Rico are linked to the drug trade, it is deeply troubling that two of the federal agencies responsible for leading the fight against narco-trafficking and money laundering are so short-staffed on the Island,” said Pierluisi.

“Likewise, when we know that Puerto Rico has a serious problem with unlawful weapons, it is inconceivable that over 50% of the authorized positions within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the Island are unfilled,” he added.

Since taking office, the Resident Commissioner has been consistently calling for more federal resources to be devoted to fighting crime. Last July, Pierluisi wrote a detailed letter to Attorney General Holder—and met personally with the Attorney General in September—to express his concerns. The Resident Commissioner also met last year with senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security. Last month, Pierluisi sent follow-up letters to both agencies to reiterate his concerns and to request a briefing on the specific steps they have taken—or plan to take in the near future—to combat drug-related violence in Puerto Rico.