Security Observatory
Security makes it possible to live, work and participate freely.
The protection of life and the effective presence of institutions are essential conditions for citizen well-being. Understanding insecurity requires examining crime, the experiences of communities and the State’s capacity to prevent and respond to threats.
A proposal for Bogotá
New proposal · Discussion paper
A police force that grows, a community that trusts
Caring for those who care for us.
Bogotá needs a police force that is well prepared, upright and close to its citizens. In this proposal we put forward an alliance between the District, the National Police, the national Government and universities to link the comprehensive development of police officers with stronger protection and service capabilities: offering training, well-being and real opportunities for advancement, while requiring verifiable skills, honesty and respectful treatment.
We invite you to read it, share it and send us your comments.
PDF · 11 pages · 1.4 MB · Version 1.0, September 25, 2026 · Comments? Write to us via our Contact page.
© 2026 Observatorio Ciudadano. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. You may share and adapt it for any purpose, provided you credit Observatorio Ciudadano as the author, include a link to the license and indicate whether you made any changes.
How to cite: Observatorio Ciudadano (2026). Policía que crece, comunidad que confía. Cuidar a quienes nos cuidan. [A police force that grows, a community that trusts. Caring for those who care for us.] Version 1.0. https://observatorio-ciudadano.org/observatorio-de-seguridad/
What it proposes
- Academic training with concrete rewards
- Physical fitness and opportunities for advancement
- Self-defense and urban police response
- Mental health, inner life and family
- Closeness to citizens as a professional skill
- A comprehensive recognition system
- Institutional integrity starting with the command
24-month pilot: six months of preparation, twelve of implementation and six of evaluation and adjustment, with an independent assessment of learning, fitness, injuries, well-being, integrity and public trust.
Citizen proposal · Born on r/seguridad_bogota
Let’s care for those who care for us
A public memorial to the patrol officers who have died in the line of duty in Bogotá, and a tribute to the exemplary service of those who continue to serve.
This proposal grew out of a citizen discussion: Bogotá currently has no public space dedicated to honoring police officers who fell in the line of duty, nor any visible recognition of the exemplary service of those who protect the city day after day. Other cities have built similar memorials as a gesture of collective memory and gratitude.
Conceptual illustration created to accompany the proposal — not an official architectural design.
The proposal does not seek to impose a design from above: it calls for the location, form and names to be decided by listening directly to patrol officers, to the families of those who have died in service, and to the residents of the area where it is built.
What it proposes
- A public memorial to police officers who fell in the line of duty
- Explicit recognition of exemplary service, not only of death in service
- Location, design and content defined by listening to patrol officers, families and residents
- A space for citizens to come together, not just a monument
- Use of the Bogotá City Council’s “proyecto de acuerdo” (draft municipal ordinance) channel to advance the initiative
Status: proposal under citizen discussion. The Observatory has not taken an institutional position on the final design; it is sharing the initiative to broaden public debate.
New proposal · Discussion paper
Effective oversight, not collective punishment
A proposal on foreign nationals and security in Bogotá, based on individual due process rather than national origin.
The debate on crimes committed by foreign nationals in Bogotá tends to swing between two unhelpful extremes: ignoring the issue, or proposing collective measures (such as mandatory quarterly registration for all foreigners) that the Constitutional Court has already deemed a disproportionate burden on the migrant population. This proposal sets out a third way: firmer measures, but triggered only by a confirmed conviction or court order, never by nationality as such. We also identify a specific gap: there is currently no routine public data breaking down arrests or homicides by nationality in Bogotá, which makes it impossible to check what circulates in public debate against official figures. We add a third, general pillar —not limited to the foreign population—: carrying or using a weapon should exclude any crime from the «minor» category, regardless of the amount stolen, because the risk to the victim’s life is the same as in an attempted homicide.
We invite you to read it, share it and send us your comments.
PDF · 11 pages · 130 KB · Version 1.3, October 11, 2026 · Comments? Write to us via our Contact page.
© 2026 Observatorio Ciudadano. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. You may share and adapt it for any purpose, provided you credit Observatorio Ciudadano as the author, include a link to the license and indicate whether you made any changes.
How to cite: Observatorio Ciudadano (2026). Seguimiento efectivo, no castigo colectivo: una propuesta sobre extranjería y seguridad en Bogotá. [Effective oversight, not collective punishment: a proposal on foreign nationals and security in Bogotá.] Version 1.3. https://observatorio-ciudadano.org/observatorio-de-seguridad/
What it proposes
- An expedited expulsion protocol as an ancillary penalty, only for confirmed convictions
- Periodic verification of lawful means of livelihood, only for those subject to an active court order
- Quarterly publication of arrest and homicide figures broken down by nationality
- Expressly rules out mandatory quarterly registration of all foreigners
- Carrying or using a weapon excludes the crime from the «minor» category, for Colombians and foreigners alike
Status: discussion paper for citizen debate. It does not replace existing due process; it seeks to close a public information gap and to propose proportionate, verifiable measures.
Our perspective
The Security Observatory proposes an approach that brings together prevention, criminal investigation, justice, territorial control and institutional trust. Policies should be judged by their effects on the population and by the sustainability of their results.
We recognize the responsibility and dignity of the members of the Public Force (Colombia’s military and police). Their training, working conditions and relationship with citizens are part of any serious discussion about security. Institutional effectiveness must go hand in hand with legality, the protection of rights and accountability.
What we analyze
- Crime, victimization and perceptions of insecurity.
- Prevention and protection for communities exposed to violence.
- Institutional presence and access to justice across the territories.
- Capabilities, training and conditions of the Public Force.
- Results and continuity of security policies.