Agreed

This is something I’ve tried to get across for some time. Using the military to control crime was a short-term — and possibly counterproductive — strategy. Reforming the police (as has been done with some success in Mexico City and even Nezahuacoatl) is a slow process, and changing citizen attitudes will take even longer… but is doable.

The Associated Press
Published: June 28, 2007

MEXICO CITY: Mexico announced it would overhaul training of all state and federal police chiefs Thursday as the government seeks international help to fight organized crime.

Authorities recently removed the nation’s top federal police officers and are forcing them to prove they will not be corrupted by organized crime.

Now, more than 1,000 high-ranking state and federal officers will be required to complete a yearlong course in crisis control, law enforcement techniques and the English language — as Mexico aims to work closely with U.S. and European police — said Genaro Garcia Luna, secretary of public safety.

The courses begin Aug. 13 and will be taught partly by experts from the United States, Canada, Germany, France and Spain.

“For the first time in the history of (Mexico’s) police, all new chiefs … will be selected and trained using a uniform criteria that meets international standards,” Garcia Luna said.

“Putting the best police Mexico has” in the top posts is the only way to succeed at combating organized crime, he said.

It’s no secret that police work is often shoddy in Mexico. I’ve been writing on police reforms since 2004 (Marcelo Ebrard made his political bones as Mexico City’s Police Chief, an unusual job for a social services administrator), including the still amazingly successful effort to reform from the bottom up .  I had to admit the police were improving during my time in Mexico City, but it was a slow process.
I still say that using the military was always a mistake — politically and just as a matter of crime prevention.

The police are aware of their own problems (policemen have gone on strike for honest leadership and an end to politicization of their forces)  — and can solve even the serious crimes if they have the leadership and training. Which… maybe… they’ll finally get.