Police
Here in Costa Rica there are two types of police: Fuerza Pública and Policía de Tránsito. They belong to different ministries and have very different roles. Only the transit police can give out traffic tickets, and only if there are two officers present. Their uniforms used to be the same as those of students: navy blue pants and light blue shirts. They look a lot more serious now, with black pants and white shirts, a new look for the new tough traffic laws. The emblem on their shirt sleeves shows the ministry they work for: MOPT (Ministry of Public Works and Transportation), the same one in charge of fixing potholes. The Fuerza Pública belongs to the Ministry of Public Safety. There are about 12,000 officers (8% of them women) but the numbers are increasing. When an officer sees a person committing a crime, s/he takes the offender to an agency of the Ministry of Justice and files a report in front of a judge. The power to charge a suspect of a crime lies in the Justice Department, not the police department. According to its website http://www.msp.go.cr/sobre_ministerio/mision.html#, one of the goals of the Fuerza Pública is to increase the sense of security among its citizens to contribute to the development of the country. Interpreting its logo pictured above, the protagonists of the development of the country are the students. [See blog entry: Education February 20, 2009]
Monday, March 9, 2009