The National Civil Police (PNC) issued a trade to all the police stations so that the agents do not force the grocery stores at 9 pm, provided that alcoholic beverages are not consumed. The measure to close these businesses at an established hour was implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A video circulates in social networks in which residents of a sector of Villa New and agents of the PNC had an altercation, because the tenders of a grocery store did not agree that they were forced to close the business at 20 hours. The police argued that alcoholic beverages were sold, although the owners denied it.
These situations have also been presented in other places, where stores in charge of stores demand that this restriction be withdrawn, since other businesses remain open until 1 in the morning.
The deputy general director of the PNC, Helver Romeo Beltetón, said that an order was turned to all the police stations so that the agents no longer fall in that practice.
“The general director forbade the police to be closing stores because they do not have to do it, separately there are those who sell alcoholic beverages that must close,” he said.
Collaboration
“Half -time they do not sell alcoholic beverages for consumption in public roads, there is no restriction as such. Many of the cases in which there have been homicides have been due to quarrels between drunk people,” said David Custodio Boto, general director of the PNC.
Custodio Boto said that tenders are not forced to close grocery stores, but are asked to “collaborate” to close their businesses and thus avoid acts of violence.
The police chief confirmed that the order was issued in all the police stations so that the shopkeepers are only aware of closing businesses at a prudent hour, mainly those that are located in areas considered as red.
“The grocery stores where they sell food will no longer be forced to close. If, for example, a store is selling alcoholic beverages, they will be ordered to close and the reports will be sent to the Public Ministry, to the Ministry of Health and the Superintendence of Tax Administration,” said Custodio.
Regarding the testimonies of shopkeepers who claim to be extorted by police so that their businesses remain open after 9 pm, the police chief urged the complaints to the complaints before the PNC General Inspectorate.
Agreement
On February 4, 2021, due to the Covid-19 Pandemia, the Ministry of Health published in the Official Gazette Ministerial Agreement 24-2021, in which it indicates that supermarkets, convenience stores and neighborhood stores may develop their activities in their regular schedules.
“They must respect the capacity and biosafety measures established in the health alert system for the emergence of the COVID-19 approved by Ministerial Agreement number 229-2020 amended by Ministerial Agreement number 234-2020 both of the Ministry of Health,” is indicated.
In the same, schedules are no longer established, in the previous agreements it was indicated that these businesses should close at 7 pm.
On other occasions, police authorities of municipalities and colonies have argued that these measures continue with the aim of reducing crime rates, because there are grocery stores where alcoholic beverages are sold that are consumed in place, which contravenes public order, since these establishments in addition to not having permits, do not have toilets and consumers dirty public roads.
Police chiefs of the province have also said that in these sites fights that put other people at risk, since there have been altercations in which firearms have been used and people who were traveling through the place or who were buying in the business have been used. At the time it was also argued that it was to reduce assaults and extortion to such shops.
“Let’s have the schedule we have, we are always exposed to crime, assaults, but people need to buy and we, win,” says Mateo Sanic, a shopkeeper of the Central America neighborhood, zone 7. He states that the agents are punctual and that, at 9 pm, they park the patrol in front of their business as a sign that you must close, even if you have customers to attend.
This year, the homicide rate until March is 16.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the National Economic Research Center (one hundred), which represents an increase of 3.1 % compared to the same period of 2024.
Abuse
Tenderos of different sectors have expressed their discomfort by stating that the restriction of the schedule affects them economically. Some say that police officers have demanded sums of money to allow businesses to remain open.
The analyst on security issues, Zoel Franco, argues that the Ministry of the Interior should implement a system to measure the results of this measure and determine if it has really contributed to reducing crime levels, since, according to Franco, so far it has only caused discomfort among business owners and consumers, limiting the schedule in which they can acquire essential products.
In Mixco
Mynor Espinoza, spokesman for the Municipality of Mixco, indicated that in sectors of that municipality the PNC still makes tours for the closure of groceries. However, although from the pandemic he did not agree with that measure – to consider that it affects the income of the owners – it is believed that in some places it is prudent to maintain it due to crime.
Espinoza said that not all sectors are carried out these tours, since police personnel are scarce, and patrols have also decreased for that purpose.
“In zone 1 they hardly pass, so there are stores that close at 9.30 – of the night – and at most, not as before, that passed at 9 o’clock to close,” he said.
Joint work
The lawyer and analyst of the one hundred, Francisco Quezada, said that, although there is an annoyance among the shopkeepers, this type of business must meet requirements such as licenses, schedules, activity record and permits for the sale of liquor, while the regulation and closing of the same must be a joint work with other entities in charge of the subject.
“If they do not have permits, the authority has to act, but the Ministries of Health, Environment and the PNC must intervene to give support in terms of security, because it cannot fall into anarchy,” he recommended.
Quezada explained that the problem is that some groceries sell liquor for consumption in the place, which generates complaints from neighbors, especially if they are located near hospitals.
The analyst also reiterated that each municipality has the power to carry out operations and close businesses or grocery stores where liquor is sold without authorization.
“The municipalities, par excellence, are the entities that extend these permits, then they can reach and close the place,” he said.