Two weeks after the death of a Salvadoran woman who was violently pinned to the ground while being arrested in Tulum, Quintana Roo, state police took over responsibility for public security in the resort town and municipal officers were sent away for training.

Quintana Roo security chief Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez announced Sunday that the Tulum municipal force would be immediately placed under the “absolute control” of the state Public Security Ministry (SSP)

Thirty Tulum officers have already been sent to the state police academy in Chetumal to undergo training, Hernández said.

The announcement followed the alleged murder by police of Salvadoran migrant Victoria Salazar, who died on March 27 after an officer kneeled on her back for an extended period of time, breaking two vertebrae. It also came after the dissemination of a video that showed Tulum police using excessive force to detain a young man last Wednesday night.

Hernández said the decision to place policing in the Caribbean coast tourism destination under state control was taken due to constant acts of abuse by the municipal force. He noted that some officers have acted illegally and violated human rights in their “subjugation” of people being arrested.

The police chief said that all municipal officers in Tulum will receive training from the SSP. Those who don’t meet the requirements to remain on the force will be dismissed, he said.

They will complete 216 hours of training, attending specialized courses that cover a range of facets of policing, including discipline, physical conditioning and police techniques and tactics.

Hernández said the objective is to ensure that Tulum’s police force has the capacity to act within the legal framework and comply with national and international human rights norms.

The training will “undeniably” allow the Tulum force to become more professional in their work, he said, asserting that the citizens of Tulum deserve well-trained police.

Source: Milenio (sp)