STO.

NIÑO COLLEGE OF ORMOC

COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
Brgy Doña Feliza Mejia Subdivision
Ormoc City

LEA 2
Week 13 Dec 2-4
Module 20

I. INTRODUCTION:

The comparative models in policing gives the student’s idea in comparison with
other police units, their organization, practices, in particular the prevention and
control of crimes. At first, they have to study the history of the police, how it is
organized, the structure, ranks and the law which mandates the police of a certain
country.

II. LEARNING COMPETENCIES/OBJECTTIVES:

At the end of the lesson the students will be able to:

 Identify the police system of Argentina

 Describe the brief history of Argentina police.

III. READING RESOURCES AND INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

(Please read carefully and understand the topic below)

Topic: Argentina Police

Law enforcement in Argentina

Federal officers during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Buenos Aires

In Argentina the most important law enforcement organization is the Argentine Federal
Police with jurisdiction in all Argentine territory. Most routine police work is carried out by
provincial/state police forces. In recent years several cities (such as Saldan and Villa Allende),
started their own local police forces to reduce the burden on the State Police. The capital city of
Buenos Aires (a federal district), where the Argentine Federal Police works with Argentine Naval
Prefecture (Coast Guard) and Police (Municipal police).

Contents
1 Federal agencies
2 Provincial Police Forces
3 Local Forces
4 Tactical Forces
5 Intelligence agencies
6 Historical secret police organizations
7 Corruption
7.1 Dynamics

1. Federal agencies
Argentine Federal Police
Argentine National Gendarmerie
Argentine Naval Prefecture
Airport Security Police
Federal Penitentiary Service
Provincial Police Forces
Police in Buenos Aires

2. Provincial Police of Córdoba

Provincial Police of Santa Fe

Buenos Aires Provincial Police

Catamarca Provincial Police
Chaco Provincial Police
Chubut Provincial Police
Corrientes Provincial Police
Entre Ríos Provincial Police
Formosa Provincial Police
Jujuy Provincial Police
La Pampa Provincial Police
La Rioja Provincial Police
Mendoza Provincial Police
Misiones Provincial Police
Neuquén Provincial Police
Río Negro Provincial Police
Salta Provincial Police
San Juan Provincial Police
San Luis Provincial Police
Santa Cruz Provincial Police
Santa Fe Provincial Police
Santiago del Estero Provincial Police
Tierra del Fuego Provincial Police
Tucumán Provincial Police

3. Local Forces
Buenos Aires City Police
Lomas de Zamora City Police
Villa Allende City Police
Saldan City Police
Córdoba Municipal Police

4. Tactical Forces
Hawk Special Operations Brigade
Special Operations Troops Company
Infantry Guard Corps
Escorpion Group
Albatross Group
Federal Special Operations Group
Special Group One

5. Intelligence agencies
Intelligence Secretariat
Argentine Federal Police Intelligence
Argentine National Gendarmerie Intelligence
Argentine Naval Prefecture Intelligence
Airport Security Police Intelligence
Federal Penitentiary Service Intelligence
Inteligencia de la Policía Bonaerense
 6. Historical secret police organizations
Sociedad Popular Restauradora ("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)

7. Corruption
Further information:

Corruption in Argentina
Corruption 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 the 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.

Dynamics
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 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. Most citizens in the country defend themselves
from criminals acts with weapons like pistols rather than informing the police about the
criminal acts in the country.

With the recent creation of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police in 2009, an increasing
number of city residences have opted to report crimes to the Metropolitan Police instead of the
Federal Police due to its corruption problems.

IV. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:

A. What are the most common corruption practices perpetrated by Argentina

police agents?
B. What are the factors why Argentina police committed corruption?
C. Illustrate the different Federal police agencies of Argentina.

Reference:https://www.google.com/search?
q=argentina+police&oq=Argentina+Police&aqs=chrome.0.0l8.11493j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=
UTF-8