This is the safest area in Bogotá: not one homicide in two years

An area of Bogotá that comprises about six neighborhoods, with places such as Cafam Floresta, the Military School of Cadets, the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officers Club and the El Buen Pastor Women's Prison and approximately 54,000 inhabitants, has not recorded any homicide for two years.

This is the Zonal Planning Unit (UPZ) Los Andes, in the town of Barrios Unidos. With traditional neighborhoods such as La Castellana, Rionegro and Los Andes, and an extension from 80th Street to the North Highway, and from Race 68 to Race 30, this area reflects an absolute decrease in violent deaths.

Residents of the sector highlight a joint work with the authorities of the various quadrants and the rounds given by the military in the area: “It was important to have the patrol of the School and the support of the Club, but the real work has been done by the community action board of Los Andes, the CAI Rionegro and the people who wanted to be linked to the strategy to improve neighborhood safety,” said Jorge Vera, resident of the place, said El Tiempo.

The chairman of the JAC Community Action Board, Adriana Forero, indicated that hard and constant efforts have been made by the members of the security fronts to protect the areas. Last year alone, 1,136 murders occurred in Bogota, so not having a single violent death in the area is significantly positive.

“We have several WhatsApp groups. In each one there is a neighborhood leader and he, in turn, is in a larger group. In them we disseminate messages and recommendations: not to give data to strangers, not to allow officials who are not identified to enter the house and to alert if there is a suspicious vehicle, among others,” said the president of the JAC.

Adriana Forero, who has lived in Los Andes for more than thirty years, indicated that since joining the security front in 2011, she has been able to demonstrate the importance of the IAC Rionegro and the constant communication with them: “The people at the station are very open and always listen to us. We have direct communication with them through WhatsApp and this has allowed us to become their eyes, without us taking on tasks that do not belong to us.”

Although there was this reduction in homicide and in as many other crimes, robbery from people increased by 31.53 per cent, so even if it is positive, the number of violent deaths cannot be directly related to security, some experts have pointed out.

In fact, Martín Gómez, a resident of the sector, precisely pointed out that there are other areas of crime that also need to be combated: “Here we continue to have problems with motorized robberies, we continue to count cases of home theft. That is where we need institutional support and not only from the patrolmen in the sector, who are barbarians if we take into account the entire territory they cover, but also the District and the local mayor's office.”

During the security council, held on Thursday, March 17 at the José Joaquín Vargas Park in the town of Barrios Unidos, led by Mayor Clauida López, it was announced that homicides have been reduced in the capital and that strategies are being defined to combat theft in the capital.

“Homicide in Bogotá, so far this year, has fallen by more than 20%, we are above the goal we set for the year: which was to reduce homicide by 15%. We want to reach the highest reduction in Bogota's history. Last year was painful and difficult, and Barrios Unidos is the champion, it is the town that has not had a single homicide throughout the year,” said the president.

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