Moisés Torres Ramírez has been appointed to act as interim commander of the Chapala police force following the November 10 resignation of Public Security Director Ramón del Arco Pérez.
Torres, a native of Chapala, comes to the job with a college level degree in public security earned at the state police academy and 18 years of professional experience as a law enforcement officer. He has been employed at Chapala’s police department for the last four years.
Late last month del Arco’s name popped up on the official list of municipal chiefs who did not pass the state’s Confidence Control vetting process.
Chapala Mayor Joaquín Huerta announced the change of command during the daily shift rotation held at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 13. After introducing Torres as the new head officer, he took advantage of the occasion to express his admiration for del Arco and his gratitude to the entire police force for their dedication in protecting the community.
During a brief press conference held immediately afterwards, Huerta stated that neither he or the outgoing police chief received notification regarding what part or parts of the multi-faceted aptitude test del Arco flunked.
Del Arco told reporters he was inclined to give up his job rather than hold out for a “losing battle” in going through a reevaluation procedure. He indicated that he was ready to retire and take it easy after a 32-year career in police work.
Over the years he has held different law enforcement positions in the states of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Jalisco and the nation’s capital. He previously served as Chapala public security operations chief under the 2004-2006 administration of Arturo Gutiérrez.
Huerta has pledged that all local police officers ousted for failing the trust and aptitude test will be compensated according to labor law with three months’ severance pay plus corresponding vacation pay and the annual Christmas aguinaldo bonus.
In a message directed to the community at large, Torres urged the citizenry to do its part by promptly reporting crimes and suspicious behavior to police headquarters, telephone 765-4444, or contacting him directly at 333-722-5566 (cel). “I’d much rather respond to ten false alarms than miss the chance of thwarting a robbery or catching a crook,” he declared.
Meanwhile, according to recently released media reports, two other former Chapala police commanders likewise appeared on the police blacklist.
Reynol Contreras, who served a full term under former Mayor Jesús Cabrera during the community’s darkest days of criminal activity, has resigned from his post as police commissioner in Lagos de Moreno. And Miguel Santana, who headed the local police force for two years under former Mayor Gerardo Degollado, is stepping aside from his current job as police chief in the coastal town of Cabo Corrientes.