By the Daily Sun staff and wire services

The current level of crime in Puerto Rico is “unacceptable” Gov. Fortuño said Sunday, as he noted that he was traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet today with federal crime-fighting officials to discuss the problem.

“This wave of crime that is covering Puerto Rico is unacceptable. That’s it, it’s as simple as that,” Fortuño said of the at least 807 killings so far this year — as of early Sunday — 82 more homicides, or an 11 percent increase, compared to the same period last year. 

Fortuño, who was slated to go to Washington with Police Superintendent José Figueroa Sancha, said he would ask federal authorities to increase their surveillance of Puerto Rico’s coast. Island crime increased after federal officials increased surveillance of the U.S.-Mexican border, causing drug traffickers to change their routes for bringing drugs into the U.S. mainland.

“There has been a realignment, a change in drug trafficking routes, and [drug traffickers] are avoiding the [Mexican] border and using what I call the ‘third border,’ Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We are going to call for more support with more resources as was done with the border of Mexico in order to prevent this area from being the preferred point for drug transshipment, which is what this area has become,” Fortuño said.

Thirty percent of the drugs consumed in the U.S. enter the mainland via Puerto Rico, according to Fortuño, who said local drug trafficking gangs have distribution networks on the U.S. eastern seaboard.

“We are doing the same thing as governors [of states] bordering Mexico did a few years ago because the resources we have are not enough [to combat] what we have been seeing in terms of drug trafficking here,” Fortuño said.

Fortuño made the comments after he met with New Progressive Party mayors during the annual convention of the Mayors Federation, at the Condado Plaza Hotel on Sunday.

The governor also said he and Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi would continue lobbying for the island’s inclusion in President Obama’s health-care reform plan. While the U.S. House approved legislation giving full parity to Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories in the plan, the Senate is slated to evaluate legislation that would exclude these benefits from Puerto Rico. The Senate recessed for Thanksgiving and is scheduled to take up its evaluation of proposed health reform legislation next week after the break.

Under the worst case scenario for the island under health care reform, Puerto Rico would still receive an increase in Medicare funding, Fortuño said, while vowing to lobby for the approval of the health care reform legislation passed by the House. 

During the Mayors Federation convention, Fortuño passed several amendments that will give island municipalities greater autonomy and allow them to form consortiums among themselves to contract services at a reduced cost.

“You the mayors, as well as the municipal governments you lead, represent the basic service unit for the people of Puerto Rico. The municipalities need to be positioned as the main provider of state services,” Fortuño said before signing various amendments into law.

Among the amendments the governor signed were changes: making it easier for municipalities to buy and sell real estate, increasing benefits to municipal employees, and allowing mayors to present written copies of their annual budgets instead of having to make an oral presentation before the municipal assembly.

Within the next two years, the commissioner of Municipal Affairs will implement new municipal accounting rules in order to reduce uncertainty in this area. 

“Thanks in great part to you and your administrative work we are approaching the calm after the storm. It is for this reason that I reaffirm my commitment to you the mayors and [say] that I am counting on you to keep on improving Puerto Rico and bringing a better future to our people,” Fortuño said.