Puerto Rico committee reviews bill to formalize domestic‑violence training for public‑safety personnel

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Safety held a public hearing April 11 on House Bill 102, a measure by Representative Wanda del Valle Correa that would amend articles 1.11 and 2.4 of Law 20‑2017 to establish a standardized curriculum and courses on domestic violence for Department of Public Safety (DPS) components, including the Police Bureau.

Committee members and agency representatives debated whether the curriculum the bill proposes duplicates or supplements training already required under the federal police‑reform agreement and existing agency orders; they also pressed DPS for data about officers arrested for domestic‑violence incidents and asked the academy for training impact metrics.

Omara Arias Nieves, legislative counsel for the Department of Public Safety, told the committee that the department and the Police Bureau already have a framework of policies and orders addressing domestic‑violence response, including Order General 606‑27 (investigation of domestic‑violence incidents) and Order General 606‑44 (investigations involving employees). She said those rules, the department’s training protocol and federal consent‑decree requirements shape who designs and approves curricula. "Respetuosamente diferimos de tal conclusión," Arias Nieves said, arguing the bill overlaps with processes governed by the federal reform monitor and court oversight.

Arias Nieves laid out the department’s training structure in detail. She told the committee that the federal reform requires a minimum of 900 hours of pre‑service training for cadets; the DPS currently provides about 1,348 hours…