Justice Department seeks $182.7M to sustain operations; requests $1.55M for victims’ shelter

The House Finance Committee on April 21 heard the Department of Justice present its recommended FY2027 budget and a progress report on institutional improvements.

Secretary of Justice Lourdes Gómez Torres told lawmakers the department’s consolidated FY current certified budget stands at $186,531,000 and that the proposed FY2027 consolidated request is $182,745,000, funded mainly from the General Fund with special and federal complements. "El presupuesto que hoy sometemos a su consideración responde a una visión clara de fortalecer un sistema de justicia más ágil, accesible y sensible a las realidades de Puerto Rico," she said, presenting allocations for payroll, operations and a "pay as you go" line.

The secretary emphasized operational gains and ongoing vulnerabilities. She said the property registry is now "al día," that monitoring and investigative centers in Bayamón and Carolina have reopened, and that biometric security systems have been installed in several prosecutorial offices. She also described steps to strengthen victim services, naming expanded psychological and psychiatric support and the ongoing reconstruction of the victims’ shelter.

On the shelter, the department requested a one‑time allocation of $1,545,648 to complete reconstruction, furnish the facility, hire security personnel and cover nonrecurring start‑up costs. Secretary Gómez Torres said the shelter currently houses about 30 individuals who are cooperating in investigations and that the requested funding would allow the shelter to operate "a plena capacidad" while noting parts of the facility belong to another agency (the Department of Transportation and Works) even though Justice administers it.

Lawmakers pressed for financial clarifications and operational figures. The committee asked for accounts payable/receivable, a detailed breakdown of the shelter’s recurring operating line, and the number of pending legal claims and contingent liabilities; the department repeatedly agreed to provide those data within five days. The committee chair said formal requests would be sent by email and that the commission would use the data to evaluate priorities and any further funding requests.

Secretary Gómez Torres also detailed non‑recurring revenue and cost‑management measures. The department has restarted optimized vehicle auctions and reported roughly $2 million raised in recent sales; testimony said the department currently holds 783 impounded vehicles, 521 available for sale and 262 marked for decomposition, with storage costs given as $2.80 per vehicle per day and an agreed distribution of proceeds among agencies (50% police, 47% Justice, 3% Treasury).

On staffing, the department reported 1,511 occupied positions within an approved structure and identified 24 statutory positions for prosecutors that require gubernatorial nomination and Senate confirmation. The secretary and aides acknowledged recruitment and retention challenges for specialized roles (investigative agents, victim services technicians and certain attorney positions) and said they were working with the Office of Human Resources (ATH/OATRH) and the Office of Management and Budget to prioritize staffing within the fiscal plan.

The hearing closed with the committee reiterating deadlines for agency responses and a reminder that the Legislature must coordinate with the Fiscal Oversight Board under PROMESA. Committee members signaled further review and follow‑up after they receive the requested documentation.

Next steps: agencies are to submit the requested figures (accounts receivable/payable, shelter operating line, vehicle inventory, and pending litigation totals) within five days so the commission can continue budget evaluation.