The Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Publico) has responded to recent media reports regarding the shortage of investigative personnel within the Aruba Police Force. The office released a statement to provide the Aruban community with a comprehensive view of the situation, emphasizing the operational difficulties this shortage creates.
Effective investigation and prosecution rely heavily on having an adequate number of detectives available. Several months ago, the Ministerio Publico informed the Minister of Justice via letter that the deficit in police investigators is critical. Consequently, a large volume of reports cannot be acted upon. The office noted that in many instances, they are unable to explain to citizens why their complaints have not been taken up, which negatively impacts trust in the government.
The Ministerio Publico attributes the issue to successive governments failing to provide the necessary positions and budget to match the approved personnel formations for the Police Force, Public Prosecutor’s Office, and KIA. The required formation is calculated based on the workload necessary to meet all legal obligations. However, judicial departments lack their own personnel budgets and remain completely dependent on government funding to function.
The financial constraints worsened in March 2025, when the government implemented an additional 10% budget cut across all departments in the judicial chain. This new reduction compounds the existing personnel shortage, making it increasingly difficult to fulfill all mandated legal tasks.
