Colombia’s defense minister announced Tuesday plans to inject more than one billion dollars into the national police.
“We are allocating more than $200 million to correct the promotional system at executive level; more than $550 million to increase the number of troops and $46 million to strengthen intelligence and investigation capacity, among others,” Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said in a press statement.
The announcement comes just in time to prevent a strike of more than 2,500 executive policemen who are lobbying for better working conditions and changes in the promotion system, reports El Espectador.
The government will invest almost $180 million to build new police stations and remodel ones across the country.
Additionally, the national police will receive around $70 million to buy four new helicopters and another $60 million to strengthen mobile riot squads.