The National Economic Research Center (one hundred), through a study, warns the scope that municipal police must have and emphasizes that these groups cannot exercise exclusive powers of the National Civil Police (PNC).
The one hundred report refers that, although the Constitution does not explicitly prohibit municipal participation in Citizen Security, the current ordinary legislation reserves these functions to the police institution.
The existence of the Municipal Police is not mandatory, according to one hundred and warns that in order to exercise citizen security functions, reforms to the laws of the PNC, of the Executive Agency, the National Security System and the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation are required.
In the event that municipalities assume citizen security functions without a legal framework, they could incur crimes as an abuse of authority or armed illegal grouping, according to the study.
In February 2024, the mayor of Ayutla, San Marcos, Isel Súñiga, equipped with long weapons, tactical uniforms and patrol vehicles to her municipal police officers, in response to the lack of security in the municipality, according to the commune on her social networks on that occasion. He tried to obtain his position, but a person indicated that it was a wrong number.
Francisco Quezada, an analyst of the hundred and responsible for the investigation, points out that the hiring of municipal personnel is increasing so it is necessary to determine its real function.
He mentions that the Municipal Police is limited to the surveillance of municipal facilities, to the fulfillment of local, transit and order norms in municipal spaces such as markets and parks.
The analyst indicates that The Municipal Police can be armed, as long as it acts within the scope of municipal powers and does not become a parallel civil police.
“The unilateral imposition or exercise of these functions should be avoided without legal basis, so as not to violate municipal autonomy or incur illegalities,” he said.
Quezada points out that, for now, it cannot be determined whether or not the municipal police meet their functions. However, it was identified that In the 15 communes analyzed there is an incidence of violence, and it could be that the mayors see these police as a self -defense tool in the absence of the PNCalthough this parameter was not studying.
“There is a coincidence in which more municipal security force was destined to try to counteract crime waves. It should be determined what kind of weapons they possess, although, if asked, they will not say it,” he said.
He added: “What we want is to prevent so that, if the mayors face insecurity problems, they are not tempted to turn the municipal police into a PNC, either by feeling a legitimate need or populism, so that the population perceives that they responded to their demands and armed people are seen in the streets, without knowing what training they have or if they are reliable people.”
Quezada indicates that, in the short term, it is possible that the population feels satisfied with that type of security, as with the neighbors who voluntarily monitor their communities; However, in the long term control is lost.
Analyzed municipalities
The report highlights that information was requested from 45 municipalities, of which 27 responded and, of these, only the information of 15 was systematized.
The communes with municipal police who reported data are: San Juan Sacatepéquez; Ayutla, San Marcos; Cobán, Alta Verapaz; Ocós, San Marcos; Moyuta, Jutiapa; Catarina, San Marcos; Morales, Izabal; Gualán, Zacapa; Squinalá, Escuintla; Sayaxché, Petén; Santa Cruz del Quiché, Quiché; Chiquimula, Chiquimula; Tacaná, San Marcos; San Antonio Huista, Huehuetenango; and ipala, chiquimula.
Guatemala, Escuintla and Petén are the three departments that reported more homicides in the first 2025 bimester, according to the one hundred report.
It was tried to obtain the position of the municipalities that, according to the report, have more municipal police officers, such as San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala (112); Ayutla, San Marcos (83); and Cobán, Alta Verapaz (49). However, it was not possible to establish communication with the mayors through their telephone numbers.
Police authorities have indicated on different occasions that municipal police are established in some border municipalities with Mexico to collaborate in the safety of local authorities allegedly linked to organized crime.
At risk governance
For the former public governor, Mario Mérida, Guatemala is not prepared for municipal police to exercise functions of the PNC, and all they can do is collaborate in crime prevention, since patrol and use striking weapons to intimidate the population puts communities at risk and deteriorates security standards.
If a municipality has security problems, the mayor must go with the governor to request more PNC personnel in the municipality, added Mario Mérida former Deputy Minister of the Interior.
The PNC is trained and prepared, but the Municipal Police is trained for other functions. In addition, governance would be put at risk and abuse could occur by mayors. In Mexico, the mayors are empowered from these spaces and do what they want, he said.
If a municipality has security problems, the mayor must go with the governor to request more PNC personnel in the municipality, he added.
Necessary
The president of the National Association of Municipalities and Mayor of Santa Catarina Pinula, Sebastián Siero, argues that the municipal police should have the functions of the PNC, stating that this has no coverage in all municipalities.
“In the case of Santa Catarina, we have four times more police officers than those who have the PNC,” he said.
“Many mayors are threatened by criminal structures and must be careful with their personal safety.”
Sebastián Siero, president of the ANAM.
Siero added that the weapons used by the Municipal Police are duly authorized.
“What cannot be left out of context is that many mayors are threatened by criminal structures and must be careful with personal safety. When there is a lack of presence of the State inside, these problems are aggravated,” he said.