Honduran Police Reform Commission Fires Two-Thirds Of Corrupt Officials

December 15, 2016

As of December 14th, 2016, they have evaluated over 2,500 members of the force, including every high-ranking official, and fired 1,678 for corruption or failure to meet institutional standards. Of those fired, 364 were high-ranking officials, including six of the nine police generals.


When Sandra’s husband was killed in front of her, she was too afraid to go to the police. She didn’t trust them. Few Hondurans did.


Read more about Sandra’s story here.


In an opinion survey released in March, 2016, 70% of Hondurans agreed with the statement “Honduran police receive money from drug trafficking”. Fewer than 40% placed trust in the police, a lower score than almost any other government institution.


For years, police officers made headlines for their involvement in kidnapping, theft, drug trafficking, and even murder. For years, gang leaders infiltrated the highest ranks of the police force, and used their authority to carry out crimes such as extortion and extrajudicial killings.


That meant that most Hondurans who suffered from violence, people like Sandra, never reported their cases, and never saw justice.


The Honduran government has made several attempts at reforming the police, spending millions of dollar to fire just a few hundred entry-level officers.


Since 2000, Honduras has removed just 227 officers at a cost of $9.5 million. The ringleaders of the worst crimes have continued to abuse their position.


A few months ago, the gravity of this situation in the Honduran police could no longer be ignored.


On April 5th, 2016, a Honduran newspaper revealed that top-ranking generals of the Honduran National Police Force had planned the assassinations of two anti-drug officials, financed by drug kingpin Wilter Blanco. Days later, the New York Times published the names of all police officers involved in the murder, most of whom were still serving in active leadership roles in the police.


In response to the resulting public outcry, President Hernandez appointed seven individuals to a special commission for the purging and restructuring of the Honduran National Police force. Four of the seven are ASJ (formerly known as AJS) staff or board members, and all are performing the dangerous work without pay.

With no additional budget from the state, the current Police Reform Commission has been more effective than the previous sixteen years combined.


As of December 14th, 2016, they have evaluated over 2,500 members of the force, including every high-ranking official, and fired 1,678 for corruption or failure to meet institutional standards. Of those fired, 364 were high-ranking officials, including six of the nine police generals.


The firing of corrupt police is just the beginning of the Commission’s work. In addition to evaluating the remaining 9,000 entry-level officers, the Commission members will begin to shift their focus towards creating a new and more transparent police force.

Among key initiatives: all remaining officers will be re-trained and recertified, and the police force will be restructured, removing redundant or vague positions. Over the next five years, the force will be doubled, bringing the number of police officers in line with standards recommended by the UN, with all new officers hired competitively and trained at revamped police academies – over 3,000 new officers have already graduated from the new, improved training program.


The complete transformation of Honduras’ police force will not be easy. But for the first time, it seems possible.


Though we mourn with people like Sandra, we also rejoice with them at the thought that someday, when tragedies occur, the police will be able to respond. We look forward in hope to the day when the Honduran police will be trusted to prevent these tragedies from happening again.


For more on Honduras’ Police Purging Commission, check out ASJ’s Frontline Report – an on-the-ground report designed for US lawmakers.


*On December 15, 2016, 419 additional officers were fired.


February 19, 2026
A Spotlight On Our Dedicated Volunteers
February 19, 2026
How Hondurans Live Out The Joy of Democratic Participation
February 19, 2026
A Reflection from ASJ-Canada Board President, Matt Van Geest
February 19, 2026
Words from the Executive Director
January 27, 2026
Thirsty For Justice
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic vote
By Brian ASJ December 10, 2025
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic voter turnout and a peaceful process supported by more than 12,000 national and international election observers working to safeguard transparency.
December 2, 2025
ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People,  Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US
November 28, 2025
A call to action for Honduras
By Elizabeth Hickel November 25, 2025
The Association for a More Justice Society-US Supports the Network to Defend Democracy; Calls for Free and Fair Elections in Honduras November 25, 2025
Show More