Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The state of Quintana Roo is short by nearly a thousand officers reveals the SSC head of Quintana Roo. Rear Admiral Rubén Oyarvide Pedrero, head of the Quintana Roo Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC), says the state is in need of around one thousand police officers to meet demand.
He says the shortage is due to previous administration abandonment, something, he says, Governor Mara Lezama is committed to restoring. He says they are always in the process of hiring more officers, but it is a process that takes time and resources.
“State police are looking to hire. They need a greater presence, prevention and reaction. When there is no presence, it affects the reaction, impunity and arrests because there are no patrols, there are no police,” he said.
The police chief pointed out that they have open hiring, but there are police requirements and process that involve health, regulations and laws. He says the hiring process is very long and they cannot have personnel without adequate preparation.
He says potential officers must be physically, mentally and morally prepared to be able to walk the streets, prevent, react and stop crime and criminals, but if they have any physical or mental wellbeing issues, which is important since they are given weapons, they are not deemed fit.
“There are many factors that cause a deficit and a slow hiring rate. The deficit exists. It is a reality for the entire state, but there is interest in hiring 250 elements despite the debt that exists not only in matters of citizen security, but also due to other factors,” he said.
The SSC head also says that offering better working and living conditions for officers would help. “The officers have been abandoned in the past, so in this administration, we seek to guarantee them better conditions.”
Oyarvide Pedrero says currently, there are 1,657 police officers for the state of Quintana Roo, but not all of them are on the streets. He said the academy requires training and other tasks, which, when taken into account, leaves only around 560 effective elements on the streets.
