Starting today there will be 250 special school police officers on duty in several of the nation’s public schools. This move aims to reduce juvenile delinquency within the schools. These police make up the first phase of a total of 500 that are being trained for assignment to the schools. The second contingent will go on duty at the end of November. The School Police, requested by the Ministry of Education, were trained in human rights, the New Penal Code and Law 241 on Traffic Codes. Also included in the training were classes on how to handle gangs in the schools and how to identify and combat drug use. According to Listin Diario, the School Police will eventually total 773 members. In the past there were just 273 police officers assigned to schools, so the new reinforcements will give a major boost to law enforcement within the educational system. Minister of Education Alejandrina German asked the new officers to maintain law and order within the schools and to “avoid excesses”.