Numbers are important in security policy. Not only to take a snapshot of the crimes committed, their types, number of victims or how many manage to be convicted. They are also needed to evaluate the necessary State policies in prevention actions. On this basis, a recent publication by the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, shook the province of Neuquén and had a rapid political response. The data in question is about the number of intentional homicides throughout the country.where the Patagonian province is ranked second, after Santa Fe and exceeding the national rate. The quantitative analysis was categorically denied by the Neuquén government.
“We don’t know how they calculated that, but the data is not true.”confessed to Rio Negro Newspaper, a high-ranking source in the Ministry of Security that leads Matias Nicolini in Neuquen.
Specifically, the graph released by the national official On his social network “X”, he describes that out of a number of 100 thousand inhabitants, Neuquén has a homicide rate of 2.6. Below Santa Fe with 3.0 and above Buenos Aires with 2.5.
In addition, the shared figure exceeds the national rate of 2.1 for crimes of this type in the period January – July 2024.
From the provincial government, they highlighted that the information presented by Bullrich has no connection with the data processed by the provincial Ministry of Security.
“We have a decrease in crimes of this type, in 2023 there were 17 and so far this year 14,” they explained and added.»On that number and with the current population, the provincial rate is 1.92, which would be below the national rate.»
What was wrong with Bullrich’s post?
As it was possible to know, the data shared by Minister Patricia Bullrich analyze outdated population data. That is, the Neuquén rate of 2.6 sIt was obtained based on the calculation of 100 thousand inhabitants, in a smaller population obtained with the 2010 census.
“This number corresponds to outdated data that did not consider the more than 726 thousand inhabitants reported in the last census of 2024,” explained the provincial government. Under this criterion, with the 14 intentional homicides reported this year, the number in Neuquén does not exceed the national rate, as Bullrich reported.
“Unfortunately, this leaves us in the middle of Two provinces with a higher population with very high data, such as Santa Fe and Buenos Aires.they commented.
The situation in these provinces is alarming. According to the latest data, In Santa Fe, 132 cases were reported wilful homicides, Of which 66 were committed in Rosario.
“An official must be guided by the specific data of the Ministry of National Security and not by his political passions”, were the words used by the minister to accompany the controversial graph.
This media contacted the team of Bullrich, to consult on the subject, but received no response.
The clarification about the post comes amid a turbulent climate between the provincial government and the official in charge of security for the entire country, when in the last week a rumor spread that The intervention of the unified command was analyzed by the Nation to unblock the pickets in Vaca Muerta carried out by Mapuche communities.
The governor himself, Rolando Figueroa, cooled the context and assured Rio Negro Newspaper that the minister Patricia Bullrich “He said that was not what he said” and clarified that the “territoriality” of the provinces will be respected.
An official must act according to the specific data of the Ministry of National Security and not according to his political passions. pic.twitter.com/WUXdlcEItc
— Patricia Bullrich (@PatoBullrich) September 16, 2024
2024-09-18 22:22:44