A survey of the law enforcement agencies of Ecuador and evaluation of the USAID/Quito public safety program (8/23/69-1/70)

THE AID PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM CONSISTS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, COMMODITIES, AND PARTICIPANT TRAINING DESIGNED TO ESTABLIHED AN ADEQUATE LEVEL O LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTERNAL SECURITY FOR ORDERLY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SOME IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM HAVE BEEN REACHED. SINCE THE INITIAL PUBLIC SAFETY SURVEY OF 1959, THE NCP HAS IMPROVED IN ALMOST ALL RESPECTS. THE KEY TO THIS IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOUND SYSTEM OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT WHICH PERMITTED NCP TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM HARMFUL OUTSIED INTERFERENCES IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT. THE AID PROGRAM HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OTHER ADVANCES SUCH AS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BETTER NCP ORGANIZATION, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CAPABILITY FOR THE CONTROL OF URBAN CIVIL DISTURBANCES, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NCP TRAINING INSTITUTION. NCP CAN MEET ABOUT HALF OF THE PROJECTED LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS OF ECUADOR. THE CP, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS MADE FEW ADVANCES SINCE 1959. THE USAID DECISION TO TERMINATE PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT TO THIS UNIT IN 1966 WAS SOUND. THE CP MUST FIRST ESTABLISH A PERSONNEL SYSTEM SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE NCP BEFORE IT WILL BE ABLE TO PERMANENTLY IMPROVE ITS CONDITION. OTHER OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM ARE ONLY ABOUT 50% ACHIEVED. THESE INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF ADEQUATE RURAL POLICE CAPABILITIES, ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MOBILITY, IMPROVEMENT OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES, CIVIL INTELLIGNECE, AND IMPROVED PATROL OPERATIONS. THERE ARE SOME AREAS IN WHICH NEW INITIATIVES MUST BE MADE AND GREATER EMPHASIS BE PLACED, SUCH AS PLANNING AND RESEARCH, INSPECTIONS, BUDGETING YOUTH DELINQUENCY AND CRIME PREVENTION, CORRECTIONS, PROBATION, AND PAROLE. IN SPITE OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, THE REPORT ASSESSES THE JUSTICE AND ORDER SITUATION IN ECUADOR AS BEING ONE ON INCREASING COMMON CRIME AND CIVIL DISTURBANCE IN THE FORM OF RIOTS, LAND INVASIONS, AND URBAN TERROR.