U.S. Helping Costa Rica Build Safer Communities

San Jose, December 02, 2011

Jorge Rojas, OIJ; Mario Zamora, Security Minister; Carlos Gongora,Deputy; UEI members, Anne Andrew, Ambassador

In order to help Costa Rica build safer communities, the U.S. government announced a series of grants and joint projects with various ministries and police forces in the country.

Over the year, the governments of the United States and Costa Rica have developed joint projects to professionalize the police in Costa Rica. "We know that equipment alone is not the only solution, and that is why we will soon begin a program that will allow more efficient follow-up to the work of the Fuerza Publica in communities, both to recognize their successes and achievements of their delegations but also to make police chiefs more accountable for their performance. These programs will make communities more confident in the performance of the police," said U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Anne Andrew.

The U.S. government also works with Costa Rica to help the country create more secure and efficient borders, by investing in modern systems that allow rapid and effective monitoring of legal goods and the detection of illegal ones, like drugs. To this end soon, construction will begin on a new, US-funded checkpoint near the border with Panama (at Kilometer 35 of the Inter-American Southern Highway).

The third main area of joint interest for both governments is more efficient judicial processes. In this sector, there a number of programs of cooperation with the Judicial Branch, offering training in money laundering issues and helping with narcotics prosecutions through the development of a new electronic case management system.

Donations and joint projects

Through the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), the U.S. government gave specialized equipment to the Ministry of Public Security, the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ), the National Coast Guard Service, the Special Unit Intervention and Surveillance Air Service.

This grant specifically includes:

420 vests
820 ballistic plates, which when used with bulletproof vests, increases its protection level III A-IV A.
10 executives vests (worn underneath clothing)
1 portable X-Ray system to detect explosives.
170 800 MHz band portable radios
75 mobile units of 800 Mhz, with its own software and accessories
2 base stations and all its components

The amount of this donation is more than one million dollars.