Puerto Rico Police Policía de Puerto Rico |
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Common name | La Uniformada (The Uniformed) |
Abbreviation | PPR |
patch of the Puerto Rico Police
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logo of the Puerto Rico Police
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badge of the Puerto Rico Police
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Motto | Protección, Integridad Protection and Integrity |
Agency overview | |
Formed | February 21, 1899 |
Preceding agency | Puerto Rico Insular Police |
Dissolved | 1899–1956 |
Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction* | Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, US |
Size | 5,324 square miles (13,790 km2) |
Population | 3,725,789 (2010 Census) |
Legal jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Puerto Rico |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Cuartel General, 601 Ave. Roosevelt, Hato Rey San Juan, PR 00936-8166 |
Police Officers | 18,262 |
Agency executive | Col.Michelle Fraley, Superintendent of Police |
Child agency | United Forces of Fast Action of the Puerto Rico Police |
Supervisions |
List
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Regions |
List
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Facilities | |
Districts and Precincts | 71 Districts (One station in town) 34 Precincts (more than 1 station in town) 13 Highway Patrol Areas |
Police cars & Motorcycles | Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Ford Explorer Ford Taurus Ford Econiline Ford F-250 Chevrolet Trailblazer Chevrolet Tahoe Chevrolet Impala Dodge Charger Harley Davidson Electra Glide Honda Shadow Suzuki 8000 |
Aircraft |
Bell 407 Bell 412 McDonnell Douglas MD-520N Cessna 404 Titan Cessna 310R |
Website | |
policia.pr.gov | |
Footnotes | |
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. |
The Puerto Rico Police (Spanish: Policía de Puerto Rico) —also known in Puerto Rico as La Uniformada (English: The Uniformed)— is the state police of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Police is also one of two investigative arms of many of Puerto Rico municipal police forces, the other one being the Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.
The Police is organized into thirteen regions within Puerto Rico for operational purposes with headquarters are 601 Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue in San Juan.
The Puerto Rico Police traces its history back to 1837, when Spanish governor Francisco Javier de Moreda y Prieto created La Guardia Civil de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Civil Guard) to protect the lives and property of Puerto Ricans, who at the time were Spanish subjects. It provided police services to the entire island, although many municipalities maintained their own police force.
Since invading and taking possession of Puerto Rico in July 1898, as a result of the Spanish American War, the United States has controlled the island as a US territory. The Insular Police of Puerto Rico was created on February 21, 1899, under the command of Colonel Frank Thacher (US Marine officer during the Spanish American War), with an authorized strength of 313 sworn officers.
In 1980, in accordance to Law 26 of 1974, it was described as "a quasi-military" organization of public safety, later to be changed by the "Puerto Rico Police Act" (Act No. 53) of 10 June 1996 as a "Civil Organization" of public safety as those on the US mainland.
In 1993, governor Pedro Roselló created a new plan to fight back crime called Mano Dura Contra el Crimen (or "Strong Hand Against Crime") in which Puerto Rico Police officers were assisted by the Puerto Rico National Guard in everything that involves police work, except police investigations. They were better known because of the raids that they made in housing complexes or "Caseríos" with rapid force and precision and also, the use of military vehicles and tactics. This program was put to the test from 1993 to 1996, but unfortunately, 48 police officers died in the line of duty. It was later activated again in 2004 by governor Sila María Calderón but not with the same intensity as in the early 1990s.