Buenos Aires, March 9 (NA) – Jorge Macri, Head of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, kicked off the academic year for over two thousand police and fire cadets of the City at an event at the Higher Institute of Public Security (ISSP) in Villa Soldati. The Head of Government stated: "Ensuring order, compliance with the law, and protecting life and private property on every block of the City is an unshakeable political decision." Macri added: "The era of impunity is over. Now, the one who commits a crime knows that we will go after them, if necessary, even to the outskirts. And if they are a foreigner, we will request their immediate expulsion from the country." He concluded: "We will always back those who care for us, and effort and merit will have their recognition." Currently, the City of Buenos Aires Police has over 27,000 agents. New equipment has been added, including 120 patrol cars with a new livery (black vehicles with white doors and details), 126 vans, 160 motorcycles, 60 quad bikes, detain transport units, and 200 bicycles for police stations. Additionally, 7,000 bulletproof vests with a geolocation system for tracking personnel in real-time and 600 less-lethal Taser and Byrna weapons have been incorporated. This involves 2,152 police cadets and 197 firefighter aspirants. It is expected that more than half of them will graduate in July to "continue working with a presence on the streets and in the City's security," according to the Argentine News Agency. Macri finished his speech by saying: "Cadets, very soon you will be the difference between the fear and the tranquility of a family." This requires a vocation for service, discipline, and perseverance, being willing to give one's life to protect and save others. Police cadets study for two years and graduate as "Superior Technicians in Public Security." In the first six months, they have regular classes, plus a year of residency at the Institute to graduate as officers. The last six months are designed for them to begin practicing the profession while completing the final modules of the technical program. Meanwhile, firefighter aspirants complete a year of residency with daily attendance and intensive theoretical-practical training. This year, 15.4% of the City's 2026 budget, equivalent to 2.6 trillion pesos, will be allocated to security. Macri noted: "With political will and the committed and tireless work of this Police, we have achieved historic milestones: we have reduced all crimes, returned more than 600 properties to their rightful owners, and recovered public space for neighbors and merchants, we have removed street vendors, and ended with pickets and encampments." Since 2017, 11,034 police officers have graduated in 13 promotions. Since 2017, 1,097 firefighters have also graduated in nine promotions. In Villa Soldati, the ISSP is a model institution in Latin America, on a 10-hectare campus with an Urban Monitoring Center for the continuous training of police and firefighters. The Fire Corps has over 2,000 professional firefighters with state-of-the-art equipment: last year, the City acquired 340 suits made with heat-resistant, flame-retardant material that is also resistant to traction and tearing. 125 helmets for emergencies and a new fire simulator that allows for safe and efficient training by reproducing real fire conditions were also added. In addition, 400 Safe Points have been installed to quickly call the Police.
