The new chief of the National Police (PN), Major General Pedro de Jes?s Candelier Tejada, continues to shake things up at the PN. Yesterday he ordered all PN investigators to wear uniforms when working at night, rather go plainclothes as is often the case now. The step, he explained, was to put a stop to claims by some that plainclothes policemen commit illegal or deceitful acts. Only the Department of Homicide Investigations will be allowed to continue plainclothes operations. The directive became effective last night.Major General Candelier also ordered all judicial and tourist police officers receive special training at the Police Academy in San Crist?bal. These officers will also have to wear special uniforms whose color differentiates them from normal police or traffic cops.Since taking office on February 27th he has, among other things, made a number of changes in top personnel, dismantled the press office, dismantled some road patrols and ordered traffic cops to stop seizing drivers’ licenses and stop seeking bribes, stopped large-scale raids in troubled neighborhoods in favor of regular patrols, forbidden policemen from serving as de facto private guards for the rich and connected.
