Inter News Service and the Daily Sun staff

Nearly one thousand Police officers marched Wednesday from the Pedrín Zorrilla Coliseum to the Puerto Rico State Police headquarters in Hato Rey in demand of salary justice and the payment of extra hours that had been promised by the government.
Police leaders also used the opportunity to encourage security officers to not vote for those political candidates who have been unsupportive of state security officers, including two legislators from the majority New Progressive Party.
Accompanied by relatives and their children, the rally caused heavy traffic and resulted in the closing of lanes in both directions on Roosevelt Avenue.
The march called “Parrandón navideño por mi escala salarial y mi retroactivo” (Christmas carol for my salary scale and my retroactive) was also joined by the president of a truckers union, Luis Falcón Ortiz, while another group of agents waited for the march's arrival at state police headquarters.   
Ismael Rivera, who was one of the spokespersons from the march that was held Wednesday at noon, said that 2012 is general elections year. He asked police officers to vote “for those who commit to us. Let’s not vote for political parties.”
This is the fourth protest that has been organized by members of the Police, who now aim their darts at NPP legislators: Sen. Roger Iglesias and Rep. David Bonilla. According to the agents, these legislators have not complied with the needs of the state police officers.
In the case of Iglesias, who is the president of the Senate’s Security Committee, he is being accused for allegedly saying “let the government deal with that” during a meeting with members from police unions, who warned him that the state agents of law and order would not remain silent of the government does not properly address their claims for salary justice.  
Bonilla, who is a former Drug Division agent in Aguadilla, allegedly presented a bill to postpone the implementation of salary scales for the Police.  
Wednesday's rally was held after the Police started to receive the salary adjustment that were made effective Dec. 1. However, the officers who were part of the protest charged that he adjustments have fallen short for approximately $700 of what was supposed to have been received on a monthly basis.  
The rally organized by state police officers was not free of controversy, as analysts and members within the same public security institution questioned whether or not police officers have the right to march or organize massive protests similar to the ones conducted by other syndicates of workers.
The unions that were part of the march, however, downplayed those criticisms and argued that police officers have the same right to protest as any other group of workers in Puerto Rico.  
The Police protest comes at the same time that the Union of Workers from the Electric and Irrigation Industry (UTIER for its Spanish acronym) called for a 12-hour strike in several centers of operations from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
Because of this situation, UTIER affiliates are also protesting against the public corporation to express their disagreement with the transfer of PREPA hydroelectric plants and systems of irrigations to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority.