The Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention introduced a new weekly reporting system for completed homicides this Monday, documenting 21 fatalities in the period between midday Sunday, April 6, and midday Sunday, April 12.
Undersecretary Ana Victoria Quintana explained that this new mechanism aims to provide more accessible information and allow for more immediate monitoring of crime trends in the country.
The count is based exclusively on data provided by the Chilean Carabineros and the Investigative Police (PDI). Unlike the official semi-annual report, this weekly update does not cross-reference data with other state institutions.
“This refers strictly to victims of completed homicides. It relies on information provided by both police forces regarding victims, rather than police incidents,” Quintana told reporters.
The official noted that these figures are preliminary and may be subject to change after being cross-checked with records from the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Gendarmerie, and the Legal Medical Service.
According toLa Tercera, the figure of 21 victims represents a slight increase of one person compared to the same period last year, when 20 victims were recorded during a similar timeframe.
However, Quintana noted that, in the year-to-date total, there has been a 12.8% reduction compared to last year, dropping from 312 victims to 272.
“We are providing a ‘snapshot.’ While academics may find it relevant to interpret that ‘consequence,’ for us, it is about shaping different public policies, not about interpretation,” the Undersecretary stated.
She added that the goal is the targeted allocation of resources: “We analyze the data to target our resources. Therefore, what interests us is intervening in the areas where we know there are more situations requiring state intervention.”
The government also announced an investment of approximately 4.8 billion pesos for the acquisition of technology, armored vehicles, bulletproof vests, and night-vision cameras for the police.
Expert criticism regarding data validity
The new reporting method has faced scrutiny from public security specialists.
Daniel Johnson, Executive Director of the Paz Ciudaduna Foundation, warned that weekly publications could lead to erroneous interpretations. “It could lead to misleading interpretations regarding increases or decreases in homicides, and it could also trigger more reactive rather than strategic responses,” he noted, as reported byCooperativa RSS.
Similarly, Professor Hary Hugo Frühling, from the University of Chile’s Faculty of Government, questioned the utility of releasing figures that lack the certainty of official data.
“I don't see the point in releasing figures that aren't certain, that are purely provisional. If they are provisional, they shouldn't be made public,” the academic argued.
Frühling also criticized the initiative for appearing to be a superficial display of “proactivity,” arguing that the purpose of the data should be prevention rather than “pleasing morning shows or the media.”
The Undersecretariat clarified that this report is not intended to replace the system used by the Center for the Prevention of Homicides and Violent Crimes (CPHDV), which adheres to international standards and is validated by 11 state institutions.
