José Figueroa Sancha is a former superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police Department and former deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Puerto Rico. After being appointed by governor of Puerto Rico Luis Fortuño as superintendent in 2008, he resigned in 2011 amidst criticisms in the middle of a crime wave in the island.Cronología de José Figueroa Sancha on El Nuevo Día (July 2, 2011)
Career with the FBI
He joined the FBI in 1986. He served as a liaison officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. As deputy director of the FBI in Puerto Rico, Figueroa Sancha was one of the people in charge of the operative where Filiberto Ojeda Ríos was killed in September 2005.Renuncia tardía la de Figueroa Sancha on WAPA-TV (4/7/2011) He was also the agent in charge of an operative at an apartment building in Río Piedras where agents pushed and shoved members of the press, spraying them with pepper spray. The incident caused a lot of commotion amongst the press community and the Puerto Rico Press Association and the Overseas Press Club sued the FBI. José Figueroa Sancha retired from the FBI on December 31, 2008.Informe de Investigación sobre Incidente entre FBI y la prensa de Puerto Rico on GobiernoPRFuerza excesiva del FBI on Primera Hora; Bauza, Nydia (June 19, 2008)
Career as superintendent
In 1993, then-Superintendent Pedro Toledo appointed him deputy associate director of the Police. In November 2009, Puerto Rico Governor-elect Luis Fortuño named Figueroa Sancha as superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police Department, and he was confirmed by the Senate in January.
During 2010, Figueroa Sancha dealt with numerous riots and incidents involving students of the University of Puerto Rico and members of the police. These were as a result of a student's strike against new policies from the university administration and the government.Suspensiones sumarias en la UPR on Primera Hora; Díaz Alcaide, Maritza (December 18, 2010)Policía ocupa el Recinto de Río Piedras on El Vocero; Figueroa Loza, Jorge and Yennifer Álvarez Jaimes (December 8, 2011)Estudiantes paralizan la UPR on El Nuevo Día (April 21, 2010)
In 2011, the rate of murders in Puerto Rico increased rapidly, which led many sectors to ask for Figueroa Sancha's resignation. Figueroa Sancha officially resigned on July 2, 2011, after less than three years in his position, after criticism for his work and the lack of positive results under his command. Allegedly, the governor asked him to resign, but this was denied by the government.Confirman renuncia del Superintendente de la Policía on Primera Hora; Vera González, Emanuel (July 2, 2011)Rodríguez Ema niega despido de José Figueroa Sancha on Primera Hora; Rivera Quiñones, Ivelisse (July 2, 2011) Puerto Rico recorded its second-worst year for killings under his watch in 2010, while 2011 is currently the worst in the history of the island.Asesinatos alcanzan cifra récord on El Nuevo Día (November 16, 2011)
Political aspirations
After his resignation, Figueroa Sancha admitted that he had been approached by leaders of the PNP, Thomas Rivera Schatz and Héctor O'Neill, for a possible aspiration to the Senate of Puerto Rico.Figueroa Sancha considera aspirar a Senador de San Juan on El Nuevo Día; Rosario, Frances (October 24, 2011) However, Jorge Santini, mayor of San Juan, didn't support him. Two days later, Figueroa Sancha announced that he wouldn't run for the Senate and would instead dedicate his time to a private security company he had started.Jorge Santini le da la espalda a José Figueroa Sancha on Primera Hora; Díaz Alcaide, Maritza (October 25, 2011)Figueroa Sancha desiste aspirar al Senado on El Vocero; Méndez, Milly (October 26, 2011)
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