[A-List] Argentina: police purge

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Kirchner purges top tier of federal police force
By Adam Thomson in Buenos Aires
Financial Times: June 5 2003

Argentina's new government has announced the biggest purge of the police in
years, stripping out almost virtually the entire top tier of officers within
the federal force. The move, announced late on Monday night, is part of
efforts by the administration of Néstor Kirchner, the new president, to
quell a crimewave sweeping Argentina. The only officer to survive the
shake-up is Roberto Giacomino, chief of the federal police.

Gustavo Beliz, the justice minister, who is planning root-and-branch reform
of the police, said there would be "profound, but not traumatic, changes".
Mr Beliz intends to look in detail at how the city's 53 police commissions
operate. His changes might include the introduction of competition among
them in the form of numbers of monthly arrests.

On Monday night Mr Beliz said: "We need a police force that is closer to the
people and that restores faith in the institution."

The decision to replace top-ranking officers in Buenos Aires is the second
bold announcement by Mr Kirchner's government since taking power 10 days
ago. Last week Mr Kirchner sent dozens of military generals and officers
into early retirement in the biggest single change to the armed forces since
Argentina emerged from military rule in 1983.

Political analysts saw the military decision as a way for Mr Kirchner, who
assumed the presidency with just 22 per cent of the vote, to show leadership
and a capacity for decision- making.