After spending eight months languishing in the Chamber of Deputies, the Police Reform bill has been sent back to committee for more study. The Chamber also decided yesterday to convene a special police reform summit meeting involving legislators, the National Police, representatives from civic organizations, the Church and other interested parties. During yesterday’s session, the bill was neither read nor debated; it was sent back to the same committee that studied it originally. The President of the Deputies Chamber, Rafaela Alburquerque asked the committee to use tact and leave behind their strong feelings about the bill, saying police reform is a delicate matter that deserves much attention. However, El Siglo says the move to send the bill back for further study is “a triumph for those who oppose reform.” The newspaper says the move has effectively “torpedoed” police reform, especially in light of the announced summit meeting of interest groups which will re-open issues that had already been agreed upon. The bill was originally sent to the Chamber in February by the Executive Branch and has been stalled there ever since.
