Audit Office Rules Against Delegation of Public Security to Private Corporations in La Florida’s ‘Citizen Protection Battalion’

Original article: Se cae “Batallón” que dejó Carter en La Florida: Contraloría señala que no procede delegar seguridad pública en una corporación privada

Blow to Carter’s ‘Battalion’: Audit Office Prohibits Delegation of Municipal Security to Private Corporation

The General Audit Office of the Republic has made a definitive statement: the municipality of La Florida cannot delegate public security duties to a private corporate entity. This was established by the audit body in a ruling issued on January 30, 2026, which evaluated the program known as the “Citizen Protection Battalion,” carried out through the Corporation for the Promotion of Community and Productive Development of La Florida (COFODEP), a fact brought to light by local councilor Reinaldo Rosales.

The ruling concludes that public security responsibilities legally rest with the municipality and cannot be transferred or delegated to private corporations, even if these are established or integrated by the municipality itself. Accordingly, the Audit Office has instructed the municipality of La Florida to regularize this situation within 30 business days, aligning its actions with existing legal frameworks.

According to the statement, while regulations allow municipalities to participate in non-profit private corporations, these can only focus on the promotion of arts, culture, sports, or the enhancement of community and productive development, as per Articles 118 of the Constitution and 129 and 130 of Law No. 18.695. Consequently, public security is not included among the legally permissible objectives for such entities.

In its analysis, the Audit Office specifies that municipal involvement in citizen security must occur in coordination with competent State agencies, utilizing institutional instruments like the Municipal Public Security Plan, and always within the powers granted directly to municipalities, without distorting their exercise through private third parties.

La Florida councilor Reinaldo Rosales praised the ruling and recalled that this irregularity had been previously flagged. “The Audit Office was clear: La Florida cannot delegate public security functions to a corporation and mandates regularization in 30 days. As a councilor, I noted this irregularity at the time. Today, the audit body confirms that the administration acted outside the legal framework,” he stated.

The Citizen Protection Battalion was an initiative launched at the end of 2023 by then-mayor Rodolfo Carter, who is now an elected senator for La Araucanía. It was presented as a “tough on crime” strategy involving patrols by former military and police personnel, backed by former general Berta Robles. However, under its execution through a private corporation, the Audit Office determined that such a legal framework is not appropriate, forcing the municipality to amend its implementation.