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National police launch escort program for Peru bank customers

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

As an increasing number of customers that leave banks with large sums of money are targeted by criminals, Peru's national police launched a new program on Monday to protect citizens from being followed and robbed by thieves.

"Protégeme 2008" (Protect me) has begun with the establishment of 36 police booths distributed throughout Metropolitan Lima, Callao, Cañete and Huacho.

Bank customers that withdraw money and wish to be escorted by police to their homes or businesses can request this service by going to one of the booths, which are located outside of banks, and speaking to police officers present.

As long as the bank and the place where the customer wishes to go is within officers' jurisdiction, police patrol vehicles will be dispatched to escort the client to their home, business or wherever they need to go.

It was reported that those wishing to use the new service had to be carrying the money in cash and would only be attended from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. from Monday - Friday and from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

While the program has been designed to help citizens, it has not been received well by everyone.

Former Vice Minister Carlos Basombrío affirmed that the new program kept officers from attending other duties and made it easier for criminals to identify who was carrying large sums of money.

Click here for more information and the location of the booths.

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# Yeah Right says :
30 September, 2008 [ 17:10 ]

Sounds like a good way for the crooked cops to know who has money.  Now they don't have to guess.  Instead, the innocent victims will report to the booth to be robbed.  I wonder if this will cut down on the number of officers seeking bribes?  Now they can make thousands in just a few moments.  No waste of time attempting to rip off citizens that don't have any cash on them. 

# Dave says :
30 September, 2008 [ 17:53 ]

Wow!  And here I thought I was the most cinical poster to this forum.

# Yeah Right says :
30 September, 2008 [ 20:55 ]

Cinical?  No, just realistic.  Having had friends robbed by uniformed officers, and having been stopped and pressured for bribes so many times I have lost count.  Why would I trust a uniformed officer?  Are they all crooks?  Of course not!  I have met many a nice PNP man.  Unfortunately I have had to many experiences with the bad ones.  Does that make me cinical? Perhaps. It is a shame they are so poorly paid that they have to stoop to the level of robbing others.  Still, two wrongs don't make a right. 

# SA says :
1 October, 2008 [ 02:41 ]

Perhaps the fact that the police and banks are offering this protection is a step in the right direction.

# jb says :
1 October, 2008 [ 17:49 ]

And who pays for this service?  Let me guess.  The root of the problem is a large part of the Peruvian economy (60%+) still operates in the informal (cash) sector - and thereby don't pay taxes.  Let the people who take out ridiculous sums of cash pay for this service.  A legitimate transaction is a wire transfer, bank check or on-line transfer.  No one is robbing these people.
jb