CAT/OP/ARG/1/Add.1 26. The aforementioned free complaints hotline was adopted as one such measure. Through the complaints system, the Ministry can detect police abuse and after considering the alleged facts, decide whether administrative proceedings should be brought to ascertain the liability of the police officers concerned, and where applicable, whether to refer the matter to the courts for appropriate judicial investigation. 27. Ministerial Decision No. 933/2012 also set up the Rational Use of Force and Use of Firearms Programme. This programme, which is run by the Secretariat for Coordination, Planning and Training of the Ministry of Security, organizes and coordinates various targeted measures to improve the police and security forces’ professional use of force, with the aim of preserving the life and physical integrity of both police and security staff and the community which they serve. To that end, the programme provides training, logistical support, monitoring and institutional support within the police and security forces with a view to promoting work routines and the principle of the rational use of force in accordance with the protection of human rights and international standards, while preventing and discouraging authoritative practices, abuses of power and institutional violence and torture by police and security staff. One of the main objectives of the programme to combat illtreatment and torture is to train and build the capacity of members of the police and security forces. At present, the programme is focusing on retraining and building the capacity of police and security staff, particularly those assigned to operative posts. The most notable initiatives include: (a) Police doctrine and training centre: in the case of the Federal Police of Argentina, this centre was established to provide further training opportunities for police staff in techniques and exercises that apply the principle of the rational and progressive use of force to solve everyday, practical policing situations; (b) Specific training in the use of force and public safety: this training is designed to improve the response of the National Gendarmerie and Naval Prefecture in urban settings, particularly in the context of their deployment to the Cinturón Sur (southern belt) operation; (c) Study workshops against institutional violence: this year, for the first time, these workshops were held at all initial and higher training colleges of the federal police and security forces to celebrate the “National Day Against Institutional Violence” on 8 May, which was established by the National Congress in Act No. 26811. The aim of the workshops was to consider ways of combating institutional violence by discussing the meaning of violence in general and institutional violence in particular, through the study of individual cases of institutional violence involving members of the police and security forces, who had already been socially and criminally condemned. The activities in individual training colleges ended with a panel discussion attended by the chiefs of the police and the security forces and the political authorities of the Ministry of Security, the National Secretariat for Human Rights, the National Congress and the Chief Public Defender’s Office, the families of victims of institutional violence and the representatives of human rights organizations. These activities took place at all training colleges, at all levels and specializations, of the four federal forces, benefiting more than 7,000 cadets and police and security force applicants. The main objective of the activities was to reflect on the acts of violence perpetrated by members of these institutions and the resulting harm caused to the relations between the police and security forces and the community which they serve, as well as potential consequences to life. Another objective was to make students at all levels aware of their responsibilities as officers to enforce the law, perform their duties efficiently and professionally and guarantee the life and physical integrity of all their fellow citizens. 28. Detecting police irregularities is another main focus of the programme to combat irregularities and malpractice. This is achieved by monitoring the police and security forces 8 GE.14-40297

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