President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado, signed a Law 9552 for the creation of the National Police Academy which seeks to bring professionalism to the police force.

In the past five years 3,998 new people have joined the police, 78% men and 22% women, 43% of them concluded 9th grade of high school, 51% graduated high school and 6% have university studies.
The approval of this law was celebrated by the Ministry of Security since it will translate into having officers who are better prepared to fulfill their jobs.

“We are facing one of the most complex moments in the history of Costa Rica when it comes to security (…). We have to face this with a lot of courage and head on”, commented Alvarado. Who also emphasized the importance of not just raising the level of professionalism of the police officers but also bringing more dignity to this important and noble job.

The academy will offer education on different levels, technical, bachelor degrees, doctorates and master’s degrees all with a focus on human rights and democracy; the curriculums will be recognized by the Ministry of Public Education.

The National Police Academy will have the capacity and authority to supervise and authorize all public and private entities that offer security courses and trainings like the ones carried out by the private sector.