You mentioned rules, in Ecuador? I can only assume that up north the police is more diligent... But in general, I see no protection and no rule enforcement... In any case, nothing a 20 buck can't solve.
Do I think its a good thing? Hell no, this system will disillusion any librarian (should true danger arise).
I also chuckled when you mentioned the Ecuadorian inescapable cement blocks. Sigh, I know what you mean, even when we go to FL, where Architecture is mostly industrial and flat, I welcome it like a beacon of "high standards" that we hardly ever see in most places in Ecuador. It's such a rarity see a building Finished on all its sides.
That's just the example... Police in EC cares about new rules for 3 months and then it's boring again. Generally I have the feeling it's similar to the coast - rules become important around August/September and December, suddenly 😅 but I also heard that it's a lot worse at the coast.
It's just plain dangerous... in December theft goes up, crime is up, (Christmas spirit). And as the tourists come to the coast, so do the scammers, the robbers and the dealers... We have to stay vigilant. After the New Year, things are usually a bit more lax, the crime continues but on a lower gear.