The Ministry of Interior and Police announced new controls of the 80 companies offering private watchmen services. When the National Police couldn’t keep up with the growth of cities, private companies primarily created by former military, recruited hundreds of unemployed persons and turned them into guards. Recently, the men these companies have been hiring are being questioned. The clients rarely interview the guards that are entrusted with the safety of their establishment or home. The watchmen companies are known to pay the lowest wages possible, demand these put in long hours, and not provide these with medical insurance or food services, despite the high fees charged the client. This situation has created disgruntled workers and potential criminals. Several editorials have appeared in local newspapers, requesting an improvement in working conditions that would permit companies to attract better men for the jobs. After a guard of the Seprisa company for no reason shot an engineer, the Ministry reacted requesting that all watchmen personnel be subject to psychological profiles and police record checks at the Ministry. Minister of Interior and Police Norge Botello said that the companies exercise scant controls over whom they are handing guns to. Botello said it is true that many watchmen are former military or police that were fired for bad behavior. The unnamed watchman who shot the engineer last 1 April has yet to turn himself in or be arrested by the Police. Journalistic reports say he has called Seprisa and said he would not turn himself in.
