Public Safety Dept. affirms compliance with rules for police officers’ retirement trust

Public Safety Secretary Gen. Arthur Garffer Croly

By THE STAR STAFF

Public Safety (DSP) Secretary Gen. Arthur Garffer Croly said Wednesday that the agency has fully complied with the development of the regulations that enable the Trust for Dignified Retirement for members of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Garffer said the agency completed its responsibility in the design phase of the “Regulations on Confiscations of Illicit Gaming Machines,” and that the operational and implementation phase now falls to the Puerto Rico Police, in coordination with the Gaming Commission.

“At the DSP, we have rigorously and transparently developed the regulations that enable a dignified retirement for our police officers,” Garffer said in a written statement. “The operational phase is now in the hands of the Police and the Gaming Commission, as stipulated by law.

The official highlighted that the Police are currently training commission personnel for interventions in businesses, while the commission provides specialized training to its agents, as part of the established transition process.

Regarding the $1 million allocated by the Financial Oversight and Management Board for overtime pay, Garffer noted that the DSP’s involvement was limited to the request for proposals process to hire a certifying firm, and that subsequent decisions fall under the jurisdiction of the entities with oversight of the operational phase.