Police protests over low salaries escalate across Santa Fe province

Active and retired police officers held protests this week, together with their families, in several cities in the Santa Fe province, over low salaries and mental health issues. In Rosario, a city marked by violence associated with drug dealers, the demonstrations took place on Monday and Tuesday in the early morning in front of the government house and the police headquarters. The provincial government suspended 20 police officers who took part in the protests and took their service weapons and bulletproof vests. Santa Fes Justice and Security Minister Pablo Cococcioni said in a conference that the government detected acts of abandonment of duty, immobilization of vehicles, and actions that, he considered, undermined public safety. Using the institution and its officials to undermine security is crossing a line, and we will not tolerate it, he said, adding that part of the protests were linked to groups of officers displaced from the force due to corruption accusations. Videos circulated on social media showed tense scenes, like a police officer trying to talk a group of his masked colleagues and relatives out of the protest, saying it will not be perceived badly. In the recording, the officer is seen asking them to get off the street and protest on the sidewalk, but the protestors scoff and laugh in response. Earlier this month, an officer from the city of Vera shot himself in the head at a police station, sparking a debate on the working conditions and the psychological toll of the job. Provincial authorities had been aware of these issues. Last week, the government, led by Governor Maximiliano Pullaro, announced some measures benefiting officers. Pullaro announced a financial bonus to street personnel and a free-of-charge comprehensive mental health coverage for the officers, which will include professional care, medications, and support for family members. The government also said it would expand free transportation for the officers and provide free accommodation in Rosario and Santa Fe for those living in other cities. Carlos Del Frade, a journalist and national lawmaker from Santa Fe, said that long distances, lack of rest, mental health, and salary needs, as is the case with all state workers, create a noticeable existential precariousness that is at the core of the problem. Del Frade added that the simultaneous protest in various cities showed a degree of coordination within the force that had not been seen before. The provincial government empowered the force, showered it with praise and overacting, but did not address its basic needs, Del Frade told the Herald. The Frankenstein myth: the creature turns against its creator when mistreated, he added. The journalist said that members of the national ruling party, La Libertad Avanza, are using the conflict to push forward their electoral agenda. The police issue is political and the responsibility of the provincial government, but it is highly attractive to various political projects, both within and outside the province of Santa Fe, he concluded.