*Updated Jan. 18*
Guadalajara -
One of the hallmarks of Mexico's National Security Strategy, implemented by former president Felipe Calderón on Dec. 11, 2006, was the substitution of local police forces with federal military units in the war against drug traffickers and organized crime.
Reliance on troops was necessary because internal corruption in police departments, especially at the municipal level, had reached staggering proportions. Thousands were on criminal payrolls. Mexico has 450,000 state and local officers, and now all must pass lie detectors and background checks (Weeding out corruption is daunting task in Mexico - polygraphs await half a million). The project has proceeded much slower than anticipated, but it's critical in a country where an average police salary is $300 dollars a month (Honesty checks for Mexican local, state police proceed at a snail's pace).
The "verification" process, as it's called, was supposed to end Jan. 3, 2013. Any officer who had not been officially certified as fit to serve by that date was to be automatically dismissed under federal law. But yesterday the new PRI administration of president Enrique Peña Nieto was forced to extend the program for 10 months, due to delays.
About 293,000 officers have been certified under the Calderón program which began in January 2009, with a four year deadline for completion. But if the examination period had not been extended, over 130,000 more would have been subject to automatic dismissal next week. In addition to polygraphs and criminal record checks, police officers must submit to a battery of health, psychological, physical fitness and family history inquiries.
President Peña Nieto has announced that he'll expand Mexico's Federal Police - who are also subject to confidence checks - by some 35,000, and create a national gendarmerie of 40,000 paramilitary units. The latter will be modeled after Colombia's and those used in several European countries. The new gendarmerie is expected to beef up security in rural areas which have been particularly hard hit by narcotics trafficking and organized crime. Last week the PRI administration submitted to Mexico's congress a proposed 2013 domestic security budget of $520 million dollars.
Jan 18 - In Felipe Carrillo Puerto, along Mexico's Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo state, town residents may soon be without any police protection. Municipal officers haven't been paid for the first two weeks of January, and are threatening to quit. That will compound security issues in the already dangerous community, where drug traffickers operate with almost complete abandon.
Jan. 4 - Twelve Guadalajara police officers have received notices of termination in recent days, after failing to pass confidence checks. Five of them are challenging their dismissals in federal court.
Dec. 28 - Local police resign or desert posts in Jalisco, Michoacán
Oct. 27 - Cancún police department infiltrated by narcotics traffickers and organized crime
Federal Police ran international drug trafficking ring out of Mexico City International Airport
Aug. 19 - Federal Police reassign hundreds of Mexico City airport officers to weed out corruption
July 15 - Mexican federal cop killer arrested
June 28 - Mexico offers $5 million pesos for "traitor agents" in slaying of three fellow officers
June 27 - "Narco Feds" operating out of Mexico City airport sent drugs to U.S., Europe
June 25 - Three dead in Mexico City International Airport shooting
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