ACTION REQUEST: SAN SALVADOR ASSESSMENT OF CENTRAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 001555

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/FO SNIDLE, WHA/CEN CRAIG, AND INL/LP MARTIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2017
TAGS: ES PINS PREL PTER
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: SAN SALVADOR ASSESSMENT OF CENTRAL
AMERICA SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

REF: STATE 107145

Classified By: Ambassador Charles L. Glazer. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).



1. (U) Introduction: There are numerous policy actions and
USG-funded assistance that the government of El Salvador
(GOES) could effectively use as part of a comprehensive
regional security strategy for Central America. The proposed
GOES policy actions discussed below, some of which could
prove politically difficult, are essential if El Salvador is
to move forward on violent crime. Carefully targeted U.S.
assistance which complements the suggested policy actions
would further strengthen Salvadoran law enforcement and
judicial institutions and enhance GOES ability to contribute
to regional security. End Introduction.


2. (C) Embassy San Salvador recommends that the GOES
undertake the following policy actions in support of CENTAM
regional security efforts:


-- Take back the streets: In order for any security strategy
to work, Salvadoran citizens must feel safe walking down the
streets and using public transportation. The GOES must
enshrine this fundamental objective at the forefront of all
public security planning and crime control strategy
formulation. Furthermore, GOES public security planning must
incorporate best practices such as the 'broken windows'
theory of policing that played a prominent role in
dramatically reducing violent crime in New York.

-- Articulate a unified national crime control strategy:
Despite the best of intentions, the GOES and the PNC have to
date been unable to articulate a consistent message on crime.
More importantly, they have yet to formulate a clear,
unified national strategy to bring crime under control.
Appointing a senior level official who has the support of the
executive, judicial, and legislative branches and tasking him
with bringing all GOES entities together under a unified
strategic plan would potentially facilitate the articulation
of a clear, consistent message concerning crime. It would
also give the USG and other interested parties a central
point of contact, and a logical interface for coordination.


-- Move forward with extradition: Although a bilateral
extradition treaty has been in existence since 1911, El
Salvador has not to date extradited any nationals to the U.S.
or any other country. Moreover, the actual judicial and
procedural mechanisms for GOES processing of an extradition
request are unclear. Developing a robust extradition regime
would help to eliminate sanctuary for transnational
criminals, and strengthen bilateral and regional anti-gang
efforts.

-- Take control of the prison system: The prison system has
weak internal controls, and gang members are able to continue
operating while incarcerated. Smuggling of cell phones and
other contraband into the prison system facilitates ongoing
gang activity.

-- Implement targeted judicial reform: The Salvadoran
judicial system would benefit from several specific reforms,
many of which were recommended in the recently released
report of the National Commission for Citizen Security and
Social Peace. The USG should urge the GOES to establish an
effective system for evaluating the performance of judges,
institute measures to foster closer adherence to judicial
precedent, and promote uniformity and consistency in judicial
hearings. The GOES should amend the bail system to prevent
the release of criminals pending trial for serious offenses
such as murder. The GOES should pass a new criminal
procedure code, to include rules of evidence. On an
institutional level, the GOES should restructure the police
and prosecutors offices and the associated budgets. The USG
should also urge the GOES to pass legislation creating an
independent national forensics institute.

-- Pass an asset forfeiture law: Although the GOES has been
working on an asset forfeiture law since August 2006, all
indications are that the process is stalled as a result of
private sector concerns over tax evasion and the possibility
of running afoul of money laundering controls. Should the
GOES summon the political will to surmount these obstacles,
an asset forfeiture law would be a powerful tool against
street gangs and other transnational criminals. Asset
forfeiture would also help to fund the PNC and the Fiscalia.


-- Increase the size and enhance the efficacy of the PNC: The



PNC is seriously understaffed, and the shortage of officers
prevents the institution from placing sufficient numbers of
officers on the streets in high-crime areas. Additional
officers could be put to good use in a concerted effort to
operationalize community policing practices, as well as
reinforcing public confidence in the efficacy and
professionalism of the force.

-- Pass a wiretap law: The lack of a wiretap statute
significantly hampers GOES ability to investigate and
prosecute organized crime. Passing wiretap legislation is
politically difficult, in that a two-thirds majority of the
legislative assembly will have to vote in favor of a
constitutional amendment allowing for wire taps.
Nonetheless, the potential investigative and prosecutorial
benefits of wiretap legislation are significant.


3. (C) Proposed U.S. assistance to CENTAM Regional Security
Strategy:

-- Increase funding for current and planned El Salvador-based
regional programs, to include the Tactical Anti-Gang Unit
(TAG),the Regional Gang Advisor, IAFIS, and INL-funded
prison reform, should be the foundation of the regional
CENTAM security strategy. Moreover, for any regional
security plan to succeed, it is imperative that the TAG and
IAFIS programs be expanded to Honduras and Guatemala.

-- Establish a regional forensics training hub at ILEA.
CENTAM law enforcement and judicial institutions are hampered
by the lack of a robust forensics capability. Offering
enhanced forensics training at the ILEA, to include
ballistics and firearms evidence evaluation, could enable
Salvadoran and regional law enforcement entities to more
quickly discover links between crimes and to gain valuable
insights into transnational gang operations.

-- Significantly increase USG funding, institutional
support, and training for CENTAM vetted units. Vetted units
have proven to be key instruments in regional progress
against narcotics traffickers. Additional USG funding could
increase coordination and enhance information sharing among
regional CENTAM vetted units, and eventually pave the way for
the establishment of a regional coordination center.
Enhanced ILEA funding could also expand training
opportunities for individuals assigned to vetted units.

-- Establish a block grant program to assist municipalities
with community-based crime prevention programs.

-- Establish national first offender rehabilitation programs
similar to the one currently used in the state of Florida.



4. (C) Proposed El Salvador-specific U.S. assistance: The
following proposals would strengthen GOES law enforcement and
judicial capabilities, and potentially sow the seeds for
expanded regional cooperation.

-- Fund a significant increase in the number of PNC officers.
USG financial assistance to the PNC should include the
stipulation that the additional police officers engage in
street-level community policing, and that the local PNC
command structure take responsibility for the neighborhood in
which it is assigned.

-- Provide direct U.S. support to an expansion of the number
of Salvadoran prison facilities. Prison modernization and
the implementation of best practices common in the U.S. would
significantly increase GOES ability to control the prison
population and curtail the ongoing criminal activities of
imprisoned street gang leaders.

-- Support the GOES in launching a public transportation
security initiative. The Salvadoran public transportation
sector, which consists mainly of privately-owned buses
operating on informal routes, is seriously impacted by street
crime. Increasing security and oversight in the public
transportation sector is key to any successful national crime
control strategy. U.S. financial assistance could provide
increased PNC presence at major bus stops and on key bus
routes, as well as fund outside assessments of possible
public transportation security options available to the GOES.

-- Fund the establishment of a Salvadoran forensics
institute. Establishing a robust forensics capability in El
Salvador will improve national investigative and judicial
capabilities, and possibly encourage future regional training
and cooperation.

-- Provide cell-phone blocking technology coverage to the
entire Salvadoran prison system. Large-scale implementation
of cell phone blocking technology could seriously impede the
ability of imprisoned street gang members to operate from
behind bars.

-- Provide a U.S. contractor to assist with development of a
national community policing model/strategy. Hiring a U.S.
contractor to evaluate current PNC staffing and operations,
and recommend a community policing strategy, could help the
GOES to more effectively focus resources on public security.
Exposure to best practices and policing models such as the
broken windows theory could help the PNC make optimal use of
available resources.

-- Assuming that El Salvador passes a new criminal procedure
code, provide significant funding for an intensive judicial
training and evaluation initiative focused on court and
prosecutor office personnel.

-- Establish a vetted alien-smuggling unit. USG financing
and technical assistance could help stand up a dedicated
alien-smuggling unit. A successful GOES vetted
alien-smuggling unit could serve as the foundation for
expanding the program region-wide.

-- Establish a pilot program in El Salvador for an NCIC-like
system. Enabling the Salvadoran police, immigration, and
customs officials to share basic information on criminal
suspects would be a significant improvement over current
capabilities. A system providing secure internet access over
which GOES officials can share basic information such as
name, DOB, identifying characteristics, criminal affiliation,
and incarceration and release history would markedly enhance
law enforcement cooperation and operational awareness.
Successful implementation of a Salvadoran NCIC-like system
could also serve as the foundation for regional expansion, as
well as potential tie-in to the U.S. NCIC system.

-- Expand funding for Salvadoran national, municipal, and/or
NGO-sponsored community-based crime prevention programs.


5. (U) Post appreciates this opportunity to comment on CENTAM
regional security requirements, and looks forward to further
collaboration with WHA and INL.
Glazer