The Transmilenio, the main mass transportation system in Bogotá and Soacha, has become a benchmark for insecurity due to multiple complaints from users who have witnessed or been victims of fights, thefts, and other damages on repeated occasions.
However, so far in 2023 the District has arranged various strategies to mitigate the impact of this situation. Andrés Nieto, Transmilenio security advisor, spoke with EL NUEVO SIGLO about the current situation in this area.
THE NEW CENTURY: What is the current panorama of the System in terms of security?
ANDRES NIETO: By 2023, Transmilenio and the Bogotá Metropolitan Police not only strengthened the command that they had already been working on, but also created the “Cuidando Transmilenio” strategy.
This strategy in what happened this year already has impressive results: we are talking about a 16% reduction in theft compared to the immediately previous area for the trunks, that is, for the reds; stations and buses; and more than 20% for the blues (for the zonals).
Additionally, more than 100 arrests have been made so far this year, most of them in flagrante delicto, since surveillance and video surveillance models have allowed us to move forward with the Police.
It is the first time that the number of police officers in the system has tripled, going from 481 to 1,405, but the increase in managers is also imminent: 1,179 between managers and regulators, being the largest and strongest device in the history of the system.
ENS: How much does private surveillance contribute to Transmilenio?
AN: Private surveillance also doubled, today we have 347 guards in the new private security contract and this corresponds perfectly to one guard for each station, 15 psychosocial pairs that are part of this new model of care for gender-based violence in our Points of Basic Attention (PUB), where attention is given to what we have called psychological first aid and, additionally, 30 managers trained and certified by the police to receive complaints of theft on the platform, especially tickling, in real time.
Let us remember that in 66% of the cases of thefts that occur in the System, they occur through this modality; All of this also results in a process of technological strengthening. We have 1,482 cameras at stations and portals that are connected to the video surveillance system and 99 body cams.
Likewise, 188 arrests in what happened in 2023 are added to 4,017 seizures of bladed weapons, 21 seized traumatic weapons, but also the application of 3,832 subpoena orders for pushing, generating fights, evading tickets or, in general, any behavior contrary to coexistence , both on buses and in stations. Additionally, the informative social team of managers and regulators have reached 7,780 people, one by one, to give self-care tips and close the opportunity factor for criminals.
ENS: What is the Transmilenio Special Command?
AN: The Transmilenio Special Command is the most ambitious bet on security and coexistence in the last 20 years in the System. It seeks the articulation between the increase in police officers, which has already occurred, but also the increase in social managers to provide accompaniment.
Citizens must feel accompanied on the journey, but also have attention in real time. For this reason, for example, the 30 managers who have been trained by the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office to receive complaints are essential. We cannot continue with the famous ‘pimponeo’ of the citizens, who in order to file a complaint are asked to go up to three places.
Today these managers can receive complaints in real time and users will receive by email, after 15 minutes, the unique criminal or criminal news number (NUC), which is what allows the Prosecutor’s Office to advance in the investigations to which Transmilenio can provide the official videos, as long as the investigating authority requests it.
ENS: How are you handling the attacks against System personnel?
AN: Perhaps what we need is to improve civic culture. The citizens of Bogotá are asking us to improve security on Transmilenio and we are doing it, but we also need that every time a person is asked to stand in line, validate the ticket, not push, shout or bother other users, be it receptive and not violent.
Unfortunately, there are people who respond with violence. Statistics show us that every day an average of three Transmilenio workers or collaborators, including bus operators, managers, regulators, track informers or even station cleaning personnel, are attacked with the need for medical attention.
In any of the cases, the attacks that occur to our team are classified not only as personal injuries but also have the aggravating circumstance of assault on a public servant, which according to the Penal Code carries a sentence of imprisonment between four to eight years. additional to a fine of the Code of Coexistence, which depending on the contrary behavior, can range from 250 thousand pesos and reach up to one million pesos.
ENS: What new strategies are you implementing?
AN: One of the new strategies is animal care. In the last two years, both 2022 and 2023, more than 30 animals have been abandoned in the Mass Transportation System, of which 15 today are precisely in our portals receiving care.
In addition to this, 3,897 inspections and background checks have been carried out on these random pairs that board the buses, between managers and the police, in order to guarantee safety. 36 cell phones have been recovered in real time with the capture of the criminals and a gang destined for theft, especially in the downtown area on the Troncal Caracas and in the northern NQS connection, which was dismantled.
There is a special point and that is that the rest of the entities are participating in something called “megatomas”. In coordination with Social Integration, the District Institute for the Protection of Children and Youth (Idiprón), the Secretary of Security, the local mayors’ offices and the Secretary of Government, it has been possible to reach 1,805 users who have entered some type of Secretariat for Women, Social Integration and others.
The key sites for the development of the gender-based violence strategy are the basic attention points (PUBs), which are already operating, one in Marseille and another on Avenida Chile.
They have care in three shifts of social worker, psychologist and lawyer. They seek to address cases of gender-based violence and discrimination in real time, which are articulated with our Purple Patrol, a police unit, all women, dedicated precisely to addressing these cases, because we cannot continue to allow harassment in the Security System. Massive transport.