Law enforcement in Argentina
Encyclopedia
In Argentina
the most important law enforcement organization is the Argentine Federal Police (equivalent to the FBI in the USA) with jurisdiction in all the Argentine territory. Argentina is a Federal Republic
divided into 23 provinces
and one federal district
, as a result of this most routine police work is carried out by the provincial police (equivalent to state police
in the United States), with the exception of the capital city
of Buenos Aires
(the federal district), where the Argentine Federal Police also assumes the role of the local police.
is a pervasive and widespread practice among police agents in Argentina. It’s hard to know with precision the extent of corruption within Argentine law enforcement. Corruption is difficult to measure because most of it is never discovered and/or is not reported. However, there are some numbers that can indicate the extent of the problem in Argentina. In 2008, there were 120 investigations against police officers in relation to allegations of corruption and criminal involvement. In Buenos Aires Provincial Police
force alone, there were 13,619 police officers investigated for acts of corruption, violence, and/or irregularities between 2008 and 2009, according to the General Auditing Office of Internal Affairs. Global Integrity
ranks Argentine law enforcement as weak on anti-corruption performance with a score of 63 over 100. Likewise, Transparency International
(TI)’s Bribe Payers Index
2008 gives the Argentine police a score of 3.9 on a 5-point scale, 1 being 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt.'
The most common form of corruption practiced in Argentina by police agents is the request of a bribe or the acceptance of a bribe offered by citizens who committed a traffic violation or any ordinary infringement of the law, in order to avoid legal penalties. According to Barómetro de las Américas done by the Latin American Public Opinion Project, in Argentina, 15% of the population has been asked for a bribe by a police agent. This finding is backed by the Latinobarómetro
2008, which found that 59% of Argentines believe that it is possible to bribe a policeman in order to avoid a fine or arrest.
There is also strong evidence that police agents act in connivance with criminals. In exchange for a percentage of the proceeds from criminal activities, police officers facilitate “freed zones” –where police officers do not go in- for thieves to be able to carry out robberies or kidnappings, or for drug dealers to be able to sell drugs. In other words, it is a common practice for criminals in Argentina to operate under protection of the police. In addition, law enforcement officers are known to be involved in organized criminal activities. According to Freedom House
2010, Buenos Aires police has been involved in several incidents of drug trafficking and extortion
. Police officers are also involved in arms trafficking. Police arms depots or warehouses function as a source of weapons for the black market.
Police corruption
in Argentina is due to several factors. In the first place, poor salaries are an incentive towards petty corruption within the police. Similarly, budget constraints affect the police's ability to carry out their mandate, decreasing morale and commitment towards their mission within the law enforcement institution. These factors reinforce an already existing and widespread tolerance for corruption, which fuels this illegal practice. Moreover, a high rate of impunity for police corruption fails to act as a deterrent against this practice. Criminal proceedings against police officers are generally avoided because of a lack of resources or the lack of will to investigate police corruption cases. Lastly, the Argentine law enforcement lacks mechanisms for transparency and accountability
, rendering the police force a very hard institution to control.
The most deleterious effect of police corruption is the inefficacy of law enforcement to fight crime. According to an investigation by La Nación
, the police force in Argentina has only been able to capture 32% of the alleged perpetrators of the most heinous crimes committed between July and August of 2010. This incompetence has a direct correlation to the growing levels of crime found in Argentina. At the same time, it causes police forces to be less trusted by its citizens. In fact, the World Economic Forum
’s Global Competitiveness Report
2010-2011 indicates that the reliability of the Argentine police services to enforce law and order achieves a score of 3.0 on a 7-point scale, 1 being 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon.'
Another serious consequence brought about by police corruption is its contribution to the deep weakening of the rule of law
in Argentina. If the police force fails to carry out its mission and loses the citizens’ trust and respect, its power of deterrence against illegal acts is lost, promoting the violation of laws by its own citizens, in addition to encouraging crime. In the end, this also drives citizens to stop reporting crimes because of their lack of trust and respect for law enforcement. For all these reasons, Argentines consider the police force to be one of the most corrupt institutions in the country.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
the most important law enforcement organization is the Argentine Federal Police (equivalent to the FBI in the USA) with jurisdiction in all the Argentine territory. Argentina is a Federal Republic
Federal republic
A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. A federation is the central government. The states in a federation also maintain the federation...
divided into 23 provinces
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
and one federal district
Federal district
Federal districts are a type of administrative division of a federation, under the direct control of a federal government. They exist in various countries and states all over the world.-United States:...
, as a result of this most routine police work is carried out by the provincial police (equivalent to state police
State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
in the United States), with the exception of the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(the federal district), where the Argentine Federal Police also assumes the role of the local police.
Federal Agencies
- Argentine Federal PolicePolicía Federal ArgentinaThe Policía Federal Argentina is a police force of the Argentine federal government. The PFA has detachments throughout the country, but its main responsibility is policing the Federal District of Buenos Aires...
- Argentine National Gendarmerie
- Argentine Naval Prefecture
- Airport Security PolicePolicía de Seguridad AeroportuariaThe Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria is an Argentine law enforcement agency created to protect and guard national public airports.Its director is Marcelo Saín....
- Federal Penitentiary Service
Provincial Police Forces
- Buenos Aires Provincial Police
- Santa Fe Province PolicePolicía de la Provincia de Santa FeThe Policía de la Provincia de Santa Fe is an Argentine police agency, responsible for policing the Santa Fe province.New ranks since 2007:Director General de Policia ,...
- Córdoba Province PolicePolicía de la Provincia de CórdobaThe Policía de la Provincia de Córdoba is an Argentine police agency, responsible for policing the Córdoba province.-See also:*Argentine Federal Police*Buenos Aires Police*Santa Fe Province Police...
- Tucumán Province PolicePolicía de la Provincia de TucumánThe Policía de la Provincia de Tucumán is an Argentine police agency, responsible for policing the Tucumán province.-See also:*Argentine Federal Police*Buenos Aires Police*Buenos Aires Urban Guard*Santa Fe Province Police...
- Salta Province Police
- Santiago del Estero Province Police
- San Juan Province Police
- Mendoza Province Police
- Río Negro Province Police
- San Luís Province Police
- La Rioja Province Police
- Santa Cruz Province Police
Local Forces
- Metropolitan Police of the Autonomous City of Buenos AiresMetropolitan Police (Buenos Aires)The Metropolitan Police is a police force being formed for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Currently security in the city is primarily the responsibility of the Argentine Federal Police. As of February 2011, it is composed of 1850 officers in about 10 neighbourhoods.The force is planned by...
Tactical Forces
- Hawk Special Operations BrigadeBrigada Especial Operativa HalcónThe Brigada Especial Operativa Halcón is a special operations division of the Buenos Aires Provincial Police in Argentina....
- Special Operations Troops CompanyCompañía de Tropas de Operaciones EspecialesCompañía de Tropas de Operaciones Especiales is the premier special operations force of the Santa Fe Province Police, Argentina....
- Infantry Guard CorpsCuerpo Guardia de InfanteríaThe Cuerpo Guardia de Infantería is the official denomination of all police riot control services of Argentina...
- Escorpion GroupGrupo AlacránThe Grupo Alacrán is a special operations service of the Argentine National Gendarmerie, often referred as the Equipo Antiterrorista de Gendarmería . The division is headquartered in Evita City and responds to high-risk and counterterrorist situations throughout Argentina, but primarily in the...
- Albatross GroupGrupo AlbatrosThe Grupo Albatros is a special operations service of the Prefectura Naval Argentina. Located in the province of Buenos Aires, it conducts river and maritime operations in the lakes and rivers and anything close to the coast line...
- Federal Special Operations Group
- Special Group OneGrupo Especial UnoThe 1er Batallón de Combate-Grupo Especial Uno is a tactical assault division of the Argentine Federal Police...
Intelligence agencies
- Intelligence SecretariatSecretaría de InteligenciaSecretaría de Inteligencia is the premier intelligence agency of the Argentine Republic and head of its National Intelligence System....
- Argentine Federal Police IntelligenceInteligencia de la Policía Federal ArgentinaInteligencia de la Policía Federal Argentina is the intelligence agency of the Policía Federal Argentina, and it is controlled by the Ministry of the Interior....
- Inteligencia de la Gendarmería Nacional ArgentinaInteligencia de la Gendarmería Nacional ArgentinaInteligencia de la Gendarmería Nacional Argentina is the intelligence service of the Argentine National Gendarmerie, commonly referred as SIGN inside of the Intelligence Secretariat.-See also:*Argentine Federal Police*Argentine National...
- Argentine Naval Prefecture IntelligenceInteligencia de la Prefectura Naval ArgentinaInteligencia de la Prefectura Naval Argentina is the intelligence agency of the Argentine Naval Prefecture.-See also:*List of Secretaries of Intelligence*Argentine intelligence agencies...
- Inteligencia de la Policía de Seguridad AeroportuariaInteligencia de la Policía de Seguridad AeroportuariaInteligencia de la Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria is the intelligence agency of the Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria of Argentina.-See also:*List of Secretaries of Intelligence*Argentine intelligence agencies...
- Inteligencia del Servicio Penitenciario FederalInteligencia del Servicio Penitenciario FederalInteligencia del Servicio Penitenciario Federal is the intelligence agency of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Argentina, and it is controlled by the Ministry of Justice.-See also:...
- Inteligencia de la Policía BonaerenseInteligencia de la Policía BonaerenseInteligencia de la Policía Bonaerense is an internal intelligence agency of Argentina. It is the intelligence service of the police of Buenos Aires Province, and it is controlled by the Ministry of the Interior....
Historical secret police organizations
- Sociedad Popular RestauradoraSociedad Popular RestauradoraThe Sociedad Popular Restauradora was an Argentine security agency that worked for Juan Manuel de Rosas in the mid-nineteenth century. It is known by its armed force, known as the Mazorca....
("Mazorca") - Sección Especial de Represión al Comunismo (SERC) (Special Section for the Repression of Communism)
- División de Información Política Antidemocrática (DIPA) (Political Anti-democratic Information Division)
Corruption in Argentine Law Enforcement
CorruptionCorruption
Corruption usually refers to spiritual or moral impurity.Corruption may also refer to:* Corruption , an American crime film* Corruption , a British horror film...
is a pervasive and widespread practice among police agents in Argentina. It’s hard to know with precision the extent of corruption within Argentine law enforcement. Corruption is difficult to measure because most of it is never discovered and/or is not reported. However, there are some numbers that can indicate the extent of the problem in Argentina. In 2008, there were 120 investigations against police officers in relation to allegations of corruption and criminal involvement. In Buenos Aires Provincial Police
Buenos Aires Provincial Police
The Buenos Aires Provincial Police is the police service responsible for policing the Province of Buenos Aires, in Argentina....
force alone, there were 13,619 police officers investigated for acts of corruption, violence, and/or irregularities between 2008 and 2009, according to the General Auditing Office of Internal Affairs. Global Integrity
Global Integrity
Global Integrity is an independent, nonprofit organization tracking governance and corruption trends around the world using local teams of researchers and journalists to monitor openness and accountability...
ranks Argentine law enforcement as weak on anti-corruption performance with a score of 63 over 100. Likewise, Transparency International
Transparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
(TI)’s Bribe Payers Index
Bribe Payers Index
Bribe Payers Index is a measure of how willing a nation appears to comply with demands for corrupt business practices. The first BPI was published by Transparency International on October 26, 1999.-Methodology:...
2008 gives the Argentine police a score of 3.9 on a 5-point scale, 1 being 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt.'
The most common form of corruption practiced in Argentina by police agents is the request of a bribe or the acceptance of a bribe offered by citizens who committed a traffic violation or any ordinary infringement of the law, in order to avoid legal penalties. According to Barómetro de las Américas done by the Latin American Public Opinion Project, in Argentina, 15% of the population has been asked for a bribe by a police agent. This finding is backed by the Latinobarómetro
Latinobarómetro
Latinobarómetro Corporation is a private non-profit organization, based in Providencia, Chile. It is responsible for carrying out Latinobarómetro, an annual public opinion survey that involves some 19,000 interviews in 18 Latin American countries, representing more than 400 million people...
2008, which found that 59% of Argentines believe that it is possible to bribe a policeman in order to avoid a fine or arrest.
There is also strong evidence that police agents act in connivance with criminals. In exchange for a percentage of the proceeds from criminal activities, police officers facilitate “freed zones” –where police officers do not go in- for thieves to be able to carry out robberies or kidnappings, or for drug dealers to be able to sell drugs. In other words, it is a common practice for criminals in Argentina to operate under protection of the police. In addition, law enforcement officers are known to be involved in organized criminal activities. According to Freedom House
Freedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
2010, Buenos Aires police has been involved in several incidents of drug trafficking and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
. Police officers are also involved in arms trafficking. Police arms depots or warehouses function as a source of weapons for the black market.
Police corruption
Police corruption
Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest....
in Argentina is due to several factors. In the first place, poor salaries are an incentive towards petty corruption within the police. Similarly, budget constraints affect the police's ability to carry out their mandate, decreasing morale and commitment towards their mission within the law enforcement institution. These factors reinforce an already existing and widespread tolerance for corruption, which fuels this illegal practice. Moreover, a high rate of impunity for police corruption fails to act as a deterrent against this practice. Criminal proceedings against police officers are generally avoided because of a lack of resources or the lack of will to investigate police corruption cases. Lastly, the Argentine law enforcement lacks mechanisms for transparency and accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
, rendering the police force a very hard institution to control.
The most deleterious effect of police corruption is the inefficacy of law enforcement to fight crime. According to an investigation by La Nación
La Nación
La Nación is an Argentine daily newspaper. The country's leading conservative paper, the centrist Clarín is its main competitor. It is the only newspaper in Argentina still published in broadsheet format.-Overview:...
, the police force in Argentina has only been able to capture 32% of the alleged perpetrators of the most heinous crimes committed between July and August of 2010. This incompetence has a direct correlation to the growing levels of crime found in Argentina. At the same time, it causes police forces to be less trusted by its citizens. In fact, the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
’s Global Competitiveness Report
Global Competitiveness Report
The Global Competitiveness Report is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum. The first report was released in 1979. The 2011–2012 report covers 142 major and emerging economies....
2010-2011 indicates that the reliability of the Argentine police services to enforce law and order achieves a score of 3.0 on a 7-point scale, 1 being 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon.'
Another serious consequence brought about by police corruption is its contribution to the deep weakening of the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
in Argentina. If the police force fails to carry out its mission and loses the citizens’ trust and respect, its power of deterrence against illegal acts is lost, promoting the violation of laws by its own citizens, in addition to encouraging crime. In the end, this also drives citizens to stop reporting crimes because of their lack of trust and respect for law enforcement. For all these reasons, Argentines consider the police force to be one of the most corrupt institutions in the country.