<<<Back to News Center 2010

Monday, May 30, 2011

Puerto Rico Daily Sun: Island's Fed Law Enforcement Budget Increased

By: Raúl Colón
Of the Daily Sun staff

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced on Sunday that the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations has ordered a substantial increase for the resources of three security agencies in Puerto Rico.

The Immigration and Customs Service, the Coast Guard and the Border Patrol, were ordered by the committee to increase their resources on the island to try to combat the recent crime wave. “For more than a year I have been making claims for increased resources allocated to the federal law and order agencies in Puerto Rico and Congress this week confirmed my claim,” said Pierluisi.

On Thursday, the committee issued a report which directs the three previously mentioned agencies to immediately increase the availability of resources. The committee will evaluate the progress of this increase in December in order to further assess assistance to the island.

The three agencies have an average of 20 percent shortage in personnel allocation according to several studies examined by the committee. Pierluisi hopes that by the end of the year the federal government will have increased by 20 percent their overall presence in all agencies dealing with crime prevention. Also slated to have an increase in resources are the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

According to Pierluisi, the claim for more resources began in early 2010 when several studies confirmed the island was lacking in the allocation of resources, human and computer, at the federal agencies involved with drug trafficking.

“I am confident that equipment transferred from other federal agencies to Puerto Rico will meet the requirements of the committee. I think soon we will see new aircraft and technology equipment on the island to help fight crime,” said the Resident Commissioner. Currently, the Coast Guard does not have any permanently assigned aircraft on the island. As identified in the report, the Coast Guard rotates HU-25 aircraft between Puerto Rico and Florida.

The immigration agency, known as ICE by its English acronym, is the primary federal agency on the island directly involved with drug trafficking. The Coast Guard and Border Patrol have the operational mission of interdiction of drug shipments. In the recent years, both agencies have called for more resources in terms of equipment.

Statistics compiled by the committee demonstrate that the 1,192 federal agents in Puerto Rico represent a “lower ratio per population than the state average (31 per 100,000 vs. 36) even when the incidence of homocide is twice that of any other U.S. jurisdiction. It was this ratio that made Pierluisi ask for more resources.

“After the entry of more equipment to fight crime, we hope for additional human resources for these agencies,” said Pierluisi.

Pierluisi dismissed allegations made by Popular Democratic Party Rep. Héctor Ferrer regarding his poor lobbying effort on behalf of getting more funds for crime prevention initiatives and resources. “I don’t care what he [Ferrer] is saying regarding this issue. I’m concentrating on my job while leaving the [political] campaign for another time. This is the time to help Puerto Rico and my record speaks for itself,” Pierluisi added.

Ferrer is about to officially launch his candidacy for Resident Commissioner in 2012. He also has been one of Pierluisi's harshest critics.