As part of Phase III of El Salvador’s Territorial Control Plan, the National Civil Police (PNC) has rolled out an innovative tool to enhance its crime-fighting capabilities: the ONI platform. This modern police platform, accessed through over 6,000 smartphones provided to officers, allows them to identify gang members and criminals on the spot by querying a comprehensive database that includes individuals with arrest warrants.
The new technology is being used by police officers and students from the National Public Security Academy (ANSP) during vehicle controls, patrols, and operations across the country. Minister of Security, Gustavo Villatoro, emphasized the importance of this advancement, noting, “Our agents now have access to real-time information in the palm of their hands.”
A key example of ONI’s effectiveness was on November 11, when ANSP students deployed in the Historic Center of San Salvador used the “Know, Identify, and Resolve” (CIR) function of the ONI platform to successfully identify a wanted criminal. The platform led to the capture of Óscar Aníbal Espinoza Carpio, who had an arrest warrant for smuggling merchandise.
Villatoro highlighted that the incorporation of technology in law enforcement is crucial for modern policing. “Without these technological tools, a routine check would have gone unnoticed,” he explained. The police have also used ONI to monitor bars and nightclubs, identifying individuals with active warrants.
In a notable success on November 1, a vehicle control at the Cerro Verde detour in Santa Ana led to the arrest of three individuals—María Membreño Díaz, Wálter Geovanni Orellana Pereira, and José Miguel Ortega Monroy—who collectively had 32 arrest warrants for fraud.
The use of ONI is transforming the PNC’s operations, making it easier for officers to detect criminals and improve the overall safety of Salvadorans.