Another brutal murder of a young police officer. The government doesn't provide solutions
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In the early hours of this Monday, First Corporal César Alejandro Ferreira, 30 years old, a member of the High Operational Dedication Program (PADO), was murdered while off duty on the promenade in the Cerro neighborhood.
He was parked in his private vehicle with his brother and another person when they were approached by two armed teenagers, 17 and 16 years old, who attempted to rob them.
Ferreira, who was carrying his service weapon while off duty (as authorized by current regulations for PADO personnel), identified himself as a police officer and confronted the criminals.
During the exchange of gunfire, he sustained fatal injuries. The 17-year-old teenager was killed; the 16-year-old was injured and was detained at the scene after the arrival of police reinforcements.
Corporal Ferreira joined the National Police in 2015, had a young daughter, and was recognized among his colleagues for his commitment and his constant willingness to intervene, even when he was not on duty.
His death adds to the painful list of more than 20 police officers murdered in Uruguay since 2020, several of them in similar situations: off duty and confronting armed criminals.
Policías
This new crime occurs in a context of deep concern within the police institution due to the sense of legal and operational defenselessness experienced by personnel.
Union sources consulted reiterated that officers feel "abandoned" in the face of legislation that, they claim, prioritizes procedural guarantees for criminals—especially minors—over the safety of those who risk their lives daily.
Police unions, including SIFPOM, have been denouncing for years that personnel act "with their hands tied and their backs exposed."
In the last three years, Uruguay has recorded a sustained increase in armed robberies and homicides linked to score-settling and drug dealing (382 homicides in 2023, a rate of 11.2 per 100,000 inhabitants).
Policía
The opposition and broad sectors of the population attribute this escalation of insecurity to what they call "soft policies" toward criminals, especially juvenile offenders who, in many cases, regain their freedom within hours or days despite repeatedly committing serious crimes.
The murder of Corporal Ferreira rekindles the historic demand of police officers for greater legal support for the use of service weapons, the reformulation of the police procedure law, and harsher penalties for those who attack officers on or off duty.
The Ministry of the Interior confirmed the incident and a press conference was held tonight. Meanwhile, on social media and at the doors of the 17th precinct in Cerro, colleagues, family members, and neighbors are holding a vigil in tribute to the fallen corporal.
There are no words sufficient to console the family, the young daughter left without a father, and the colleagues who, once again, mourn one of their own.
