General Rodolfo Palomino arrived in San Andres with a group of 50 police officers on Monday in response to a recent uptick in violent crimes, homicides, and disappearances, according to reports by the national police.
Palomino will be meeting with the local prosecutor’s office on Monday in order to establish measures that can restore security to the island.
San Andres, recently voted ‘Leading Beach Destination in South America’ at the 2014 World Travel Awards, has seen eleven murders this year to date, five of them apparently linked
MORE: Colombia’s San Andres island awarded South America’s leading beach destination
Local authorities are attributing the escalation in violence to drug trafficking and over-population.
It is unacceptable that due to the in n the the , ” the letter stated.
Hasta un millón de pesos de recompensa a quien nos permita capturar personas con armas ilegales en San Andrés. (Este año van 33 capturados)
— General Palomino (@GeneralPalomino) September 1, 2014
Sources
- La violencia perturba a San Andrés (El Tiempo)
- Director de la Policía hace importantes anuncios en materia de seguridad en la isla de San Andrés (Policia Nacional De Colombia)