Q COSTARICA — With the goal of detecting any hint of corruption and organized crime among Costa Rica top police echelon, President Laura Fernández on Monday ordered polygraph tests for all police chiefs and ministers.
She made the announcement during the first meeting of the “Elite Force” as part of the government’s security strategy, meeting with the country’s security heads in an effort to deter crime.
“I ordered that each and every one of these people take a polygraph test. Everyone will be given a polygraph. We are already analyzing how to do it, how to contract it, so that it is done quickly. I took it myself, and so did my vice-presidential candidates. I will not tolerate the slightest whiff of corruption and organized crime,” said Fernández, who emphasized that the ministers will also submit to the tests, including former President Rodrigo Chaves (2022-2026), who now holds the position of super minister in her cabinet.
Fernández’s decision comes at a time when the country is experiencing a war between drug gangs that has resulted in a sharp increase in homicides a since 2023.
Furthermore, he indicated that police training will be improved.
“The National Police Academy will be offering more courses in critical areas of crime prevention so that our police forces are increasingly better trained. We were also able to review data on crime prevention by province. Crime patterns across the country are not uniform; they vary significantly by province and even by canton,” said the President.
Representatives from Operations, Preventive Police Programs, the National Coast Guard Service, the Drug Control Police, the National Police Academy, Private Security, Immigration Police, Air Surveillance, Special Intervention Units, and, of course, the Ministers of Public Security and Justice and Peace attended Monday’s meeting.
Following her inauguration, Fernández announced an ambitious program to reunite every Monday representatives of the difference security forces, to coordinate the fight against organized crime.