The Puerto Rico Mayors’ Federation welcomed the filing in the Senate of a bill that would let retired state police officers join municipal police forces without suspending their pensions and with pay for their services. Federation president and Camuy Mayor Gabriel "Gaby" Hernández discussed Senate Bill 1595, filed by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, which relies on voluntary recruitment.
Hernández said towns need personnel to cover shifts, checkpoints, patrols and emergency calls. The bill creates the VALOR Program. It would admit pensioners of the Puerto Rico Police ranks who retired by age or years of service and have been out of active duty at least a year.
Applicants must show at least 27 and fewer than 40 Social Security credits, pass physical, mental, psychological and police-knowledge evaluations, and meet conditions on records, pending investigations, conduct and firearm authorization. Disability pensioners are excluded; there is no minimum or maximum age. The Police would have 60 days to resolve complete eligibility applications.
Certification would last two years, and renewal requires repeating the evaluations. The Police could require a refresher course of up to 40 hours. Mayors would make special appointments through written contracts of up to one year, renewable.
Participants would serve as municipal agents with rank, uniform, badge and arrest powers. They would keep their full pension, while the town pays pay no higher than the municipal rank’s, at least minimum wage, full or part time. Towns would fund jobs with their own budgets or federal funds and reimburse the Police for evaluation costs.
The PayGo charge stays with the agent’s original entity. Towns must report annually to the Legislature through the superintendent.