Inauguration of new Gendarmerie, a branch of the Federal Police, is tomorrow
Mexico News Daily | Thursday, August 21, 2014
The 5,000-strong National Gendarmerie, a branch of the Federal Police, will be officially inaugurated by President Peña Nieto in a ceremony tomorrow.
The primary responsibility of the new force will be policing in rural communities where the army, marines and Federal Police have no presence and
criminal activities have been identified. It will also patrol areas with strategic installations, offer assistance in areas faced with natural
disasters and conduct special operations with other forces.
Officers of the Gendarmerie, whose recruitment and training began just over a year ago, will carry arms similar to those of the Federal Police and
will have the power to arrest. They will be issued four different uniforms, to be worn depending on their assignment.
Launching the new force has cost more than 2 billion pesos to date.
The former chairman of the Senate Public Security Commission welcomed the force’s creation as a positive one, but warned that measures need to be in
place to prevent desertions, that officers should be paid a decent salary, and that cadets don’t become corrupted. Above all, said Felipe González,
the force mustn’t become distanced from society.
Former Federal District prosecutor Bernardo Bátiz had more serious concerns. He worries that the Gendarmerie will be employed to ensure that people in
rural areas accept the conditions of businesses wishing to invest in petroleum exploration and extraction.
Noting that there are no coincidences in politics, he sees a danger that the new force will enforce the imposition of the new energy laws on ejido
members who might be resistant.
The force’s official functions are:
• Preventative (presence, protection, and creating conditions of security).
• Maintaining public order (enforcing the law, restoration of order).
• Educational (providing information about laws and advising citizens of danger).
• Service (information to the community about road conditions).
• Social support (helping vicitims of catastrophe and crime).
• National integration (maintain watch over the protection of the border and provide services to remote areas).
What happens to the Policia Municipal in all the rural towns?bledito - 8-23-2014 at 04:22 PM
they'll have to split mortidachuckie - 8-23-2014 at 04:31 PM
Jokes aside, this is a good idea...And bledito needs to run Mexican spell checker..Tioloco - 8-23-2014 at 07:08 PM
Why is this a good idea?chuckie - 8-24-2014 at 01:40 AM
Why is it a bad idea?Pescador - 8-24-2014 at 07:34 AM
Some things go in full circle. I just finished reading a story of the Mexican Revolution called, "The Winds That Swept Mexico", and that was Diaz's
undoing when he set up all the "federal enforcement" in the rural areas. That led to the arming and training of the people who eventually overthrew
him.
In our area when you get a break in or theft, going to the municipal police is an experiment in futility, but when you report things to the Federal
Ministerial, things get done, inspections and such take place, and they seem to settle in on the crime rather quickly. If the local police are paid
about $400 a month and they have to buy some of their own equipment, and you contrast that with the Ministerial who make around $35,000 a year and
have college educations, you can see why there is a difference.
So you take those rural areas where there has been little, if any, police presence and you can easily see how this could change things for the good
for the guy who has been forced to pay protection money, bribes, and all sorts of extortions in order to stay in business.
Pena-Nieto has been less than popular because he has really stepped up the collection of taxes, in all forms, but this may be an expense that proves
itself to the small guy on the street.chuckie - 8-24-2014 at 08:03 AM
A bit off topic, but isn't that a marvelous book? I have had a copy for years and never get tired of it...I think this effort will be a success.....Pescador - 8-25-2014 at 06:49 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by chuckie
A bit off topic, but isn't that a marvelous book? I have had a copy for years and never get tired of it...I think this effort will be a success.....
Well, that was a good teaser of a book, so now I have "Villa and Zapata, A History of the Mexican Revolution" on my Kindle and so far it is an even
better story. 800+ pages so this one should last a little while.Tioloco - 8-26-2014 at 07:36 PM
I hope this works out better than the federally controlled police agencies that have grown up in the USA.
