TORREÓN, COAH.- Those who complain about the security filters installed at the entrances to the city, possibly do not remember that a few years ago crime stopped them in the middle of Independencia Boulevard and for fear they did not say anything; now there is a professional police force and if they think they are acting badly, they can say so, said Security Commissioner César Antonio Perales Esparza.
He said that the most important challenge for the Torreón Police is citizen acceptance, that people cooperate through complaints and achieve greater credibility.
It is essential to overcome the numbers, and with the support of the mayor Román Cepeda, to continue on the correct path: that the public feel that the police are providing a professional service.
A third desire is to continue equipping the police to carry out greater intelligence work, accompanied by training that can now be completed, because when crime was operating in all its splendor, there was no time to train the elements.
PHOTO: SANDRA G. GOMEZ
IT WAS A FALLY TIME
Before the violent period, Torreón Public Security had a thousand elements, but they had nothing to respond to, because they had never faced a phenomenon of this nature.
That is why the state of force is increased with the training of new elements graduated from the Police Academy, revealed the Public Security Commissioner interviewed by VANGUARDIA.
Perales Esparza was satisfied with what was done in his management as Director of Public Security of Torreón this year 2022, but crimes have to be further reduced.
It aspires to have a large state of force, well trained and hungry to serve society as a high honor and that people are happy to see a policeman.
One of the main actions of the Public Security Directorate is the professionalization of the police service and that the elements are more in contact with society.
The work of the Preventive Police plays an important role in reducing crime rates achieved this year, because it is the first contact with society.
ALL FOR SAFETY
The director of the police corporation gave talks in work centers and universities where the young people were pleasantly impressed, because they want to know more, how the police do their job and how they can defend themselves.
There is no precedent of a director of Public Security from Torreón going to the university to talk with young people about security aspects.
The Preventive Education against Drug Consumption program, created in the United States, was implemented in past administrations, but it has not worked, because the idiosyncrasy of other countries cannot be implemented here, “security work has to be a suit made tailored,” he said.
On social networks, the Neighborhood Vigilant group has communication with people from colonias and ejidos and if they wish to make a comment, the Commissioner responds privately, personally, as well as the heads on duty.
PHOTO: SANDRA G. GOMEZ
DISPATCH EMERGENCIES
The Commissioner himself dispatches emergencies, although it is the call distribution center that usually handles the situations.
The Neighbor Watcher groups are only in colonias and ejidos, apart from maintaining communication with hoteliers, convenience stores, local stores, industrial zones, attentive to what could be offered.
APPROACH WITH CITIZENSHIP
This year, 2022, the Torreón Police had a closer relationship with the public, first to present a corporation that is there to work with them, because in the task of security the main thing is to take into account the opinion of the people.
As the main speaker, Perales Esparza gave lectures at five universities and to date some students have communicated with the corporation, either for the attention of a possible scenario of vulnerability or to request information.
What was done was a reengineering within the operational structure, since most of the police force was invested in other tasks and they had to go out on patrol, as they should have been from the beginning.
The operational performance of the elements is through training and equipment, favoring social proximity, intelligence and finally reaction.
PHOTO: SANDRA G. GOMEZ
THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ADDICTION
The Laguna Reaction Group has its successes, and if crystal seizures have increased, it is because the phenomenon of sale and consumption exists, he acknowledges.
The creation of the reaction group has been important; this year it carried out two important searches and seized shipments of drugs and weapons.
The group is dedicated not only to contain high-impact crimes, but also to confront any criminal group that wants to enter Torreón and generate violence.
The Laguna Reaction Group (GRL) is ready and trained, the security filters at the entrances to the city provide at least clues that criminal groups want to enter the municipality, which will not be easy, he said.
SCRAP VEHICLE FLEET
It was difficult to start, but we knew what we were coming to, the emotional aspect of the people who make up the institution is a marked asset in the elements that had not been adequately treated by their bosses, now the police show a little empathy towards the citizenship.
The agents were a bit depreciated; now they are recognized for everything they contribute to the reduction of criminal acts that is in sight: last year 39 violent homicides and now 10 fewer.
A STRONG INVESTMENT
Torreón is the only municipality in the Comarca Lagunera that has invested around 200 million pesos in metal detector arches, high-definition cameras and significant tracking capacity.
This year various equipment was acquired such as video surveillance cameras, video intelligence, special equipment, apart from uniforms, vests, weapons, ammunition, etc.
And it is not just acquiring equipment, it is maintaining it like vehicles, maintenance costs, that they are in good conditions of use, among other things.
PHOTO: SANDRA G. GOMEZ
ARC DETECTORS
As a principle, 19 metal detector arches are installed at the entrances to the city, on rural roads and high-flow highways.
Thus, the municipality is armored in the limits of both the State of Durango and Zacatecas and to date, through the cameras, some 15 vehicles with reports of theft have been detected and they were recovered.
The whole issue of security is an investment and providing a service with uniformed and trained elements represents an investment, he reiterates.
Four mobile booths are in operation and at least two more are planned for the third week of January 2023.
Different states asked to use the security strategy that Torreón has with the figure of the Special Command, which is a good model as long as the commanders are good enough to stop “hanging the medal.”
The purpose of the Public Security Directorate is for the city to be calm, because many things derive from that, such as employment, education, health.
The police can patrol every day, but there are things that only the people there know, he reiterated.
