The Secretary of DSP, Alexis Torres Ríos; the commissioner of the Police Bureau, Antonio López Figueroa; the Executive Director of the Retirement Board, Luis Collazo Rodríguez; the interim director of the Gaming Commission, Juan Carlos Santaella and Senator Gregorio Matías Rosario, accompanied the governor in enacting the new law.
By The STAR STAFF
Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi has signed House Bill 2190, which improves and ensures compensation for police officers’ retirement through the income generated by gambling machines.
“In my Government, we have been determined in our police recruitment efforts, graduating nearly 1,000 new cadets who have joined the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. We have made almost 700 promotions of all ranks. Likewise, I am committed to achieving a dignified retirement for those brave Puerto Rican men and women who daily ensure the safety of all our people, putting their lives in danger and making great sacrifices for themselves and their families so that we in Puerto Rico let’s be safer,” he said after signing the bill into law Wednesday.
Despite initial objections placed by the Financial Oversight and Management Board, he said police officers would receive at least a pension equivalent to 50 percent of their salary. The retirement benefit is in addition to the 30 percent salary increase they received in 2019, their inclusion in Social Security, the improvement in disability benefit plans, the reconciliation and payment of old accumulated debts and other additional improvements, the governor said.
The Secretary of the Department of Public Security (DSP), Alexis Torres Ríos; the commissioner of the Police Bureau, Antonio López Figueroa; the Executive Director of the Retirement Board, Luis Collazo Rodríguez; the interim director of the Gaming Commission, Juan Carlos Santaella and Senator Gregorio Matías Rosario, accompanied the governor in enacting the new law.
DSP expressed that his commitment at the Department remains firm in providing better working and economic conditions for all police officers. During this Administration, “we have granted salary increases, ensured inclusion in Social Security, improved disability benefits, medical services and managed to pay overtime without debt for the third consecutive year, among other important initiatives in favor of our colleagues,” he said.
López Figueroa said that “as a career police officer, working for 38 years, I know firsthand all the sacrifices that have to be made to fulfill the duty to which we are sworn.”
New Progressive Party Senator Gregorio Matías Rosario stated that “every day, thousands of police officers take to the streets to protect the life and property of our people, risking their safety, so this law does them justice by giving them the opportunity to a worthy retirement.”
The director of the Retirement Board said that for the past few years, “we have worked with Governor Pierluisi, legislators, leaders of police associations and the Oversight Board to improve the retirement benefits of all uniformed personnel. The signing of this bill makes possible better retirement conditions for the men and women who daily expose their lives to ensure the safety of all.”
The Gaming Commission vowed to execute an agile mechanism to put the new law into force as soon as possible, subject to the processes and approvals of the corresponding organizations.
The law was endorsed by the Office of Management and Budget (OGP) because the Government will be able to raise funds for the operation of gambling machines and regulate their operation.
Comments