The Ministry of the Interior projects that the National Police will reach 42,611 officers by December 2026, with the planned addition of 5,000 new graduates. The force, which stood at 26,793 police officers in August 2023, currently totals 37,611.
Interior Minister Enrique Riera presented the figures during events marking Police Agent Day in Luque and argued that the force’s expansion must be accompanied by training, internal controls and a greater presence on the streets. Of the current officers, 28,916 work in prevention, security and patrols; 3,300 work in criminal investigations; and 5,395 serve in specialized units such as the Special Operations Force (FOPE) and the Special Operations Group (GEO).
With the projected expansion, the ratio would approach three police officers per 1,000 inhabitants, a benchmark Riera cited as a United Nations recommendation. Today, the ratio is approximately 2.8 officers per 1,000 inhabitants. The calculation, however, considers the force’s total distribution, while some officers are assigned outside visible street patrols.
The minister also defended the training of new noncommissioned officers after criticism of the accelerated model. According to the figures released, the course concentrates 1,610 hours of training and 500 hours of professional internship into one year. Riera said the workload meets the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC). Command officers continue to receive four years of preparation and more than 3,200 classroom hours, above the 2,700 hours required by the National Council for Higher Education (Cones).
The plan also includes a minimum two-year internship at police stations in Asunción and the Central Department, involving urban patrols and continuing education. Candidates from the 2024 and 2025 classes were selected from more than 18,000 applicants through examinations administered by the National University of Asunción (UNA).
In the disciplinary area, 2,110 police officers were investigated by Internal Affairs between 2023 and 2026, 947 were subjected to administrative proceedings over serious indications, and 189 were dismissed. The report states that corruption was involved in 5% of the proceedings, but notes that not all dismissals resulted from that type of crime. About 450 integrity tests, including polygraph examinations required for promotions, are also planned.
Riera acknowledged that the increase in personnel and improvements in some indicators do not eliminate the sense of insecurity. He said reports of motorcycle thefts had fallen from about 5,000 to 2,500 a year, but admitted that the figure remained high for victims. In response, the government plans to work with manufacturers and owners to install GPS devices, allowing stolen vehicles to be located more quickly and reducing the risk of a violent reaction.
The minister also cited a rate of 6.1 violent homicides per 100,000 inhabitants and said international assessments place Paraguay among Latin America’s safest countries. Those comparisons were not detailed in the materials released, and the statement does not change the fact that perception, underreporting, the geographic distribution of crime and institutions’ response can produce very different experiences for the population.
Riera ultimately argued that security depends on joint action by the police, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the judiciary and the prison system. Regarding drug dependence, he said users who have not committed crimes should be treated as patients rather than imprisoned, citing the Sumar Plan as part of the proposed approach.