Pay raise for the public forces

PANAMA. All members of the public force are going to received pay rises between $100 and $1,000 said President Ricardo Martinelli during the change of command ceremony of the National Police.

The head of state recognized that policemen are very poorly paid. “The first action my government is going to take is to give policemen and members of the public forces a general pay raise and this money is coming from a place you have never thought about, the National Assembly, as an extraordinary credit.”

Martinelli said that talking to the president of the National Assembly, Jose Luis “Toti” Varela, he discovered that there were a lot of “botellas” (a sinecure with no work) in the legislative organ that needed to be fired.

The National Assembly budget was reduced by $20 million which is going to be used to pay for the raises. Commissioners will get $1000 a month, sub-commissioners $650, $450 for majors, $350 for captains and lieutenants and below $100. Next year they will receive an extra $20, so that every policeman will earn a minimum of $500.

Martinelli praised the work of the previous director, Francisco Troya, who was replaced by Gustavo Adolfo Perez De La Ossa in the presence of state ministers, the police force and special guests. The event that took place at the Superior Learning Center of the National Police in Howard.

The head of state added that Troya has not finished his work yet and that he was going to offer him a new post within his government.

The president said that special neighborhood should be created for policemen and the public forces so they do not have to live in the same places as the criminals.

Martinelli also announced that two new jails are going to be constructed at the beginning of next year to alleviate overcrowding.

He assured the policemen that the government is going to given them all the necessary support so they can do their jobs properly and make the country secure again.

President Martinelli said that he had meetings with his counterparts in Colombia and Mexico to find better ways to fight organized crime through mutual cooperation.

He requested the support of Attorney General, Ana Matilde Gomez in the fight against crime and added that laws will be changed to punish juvenile delinquents as adults for serious offences.