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Policemen spend as much as $40 a week on various favors
that are controlled by the brotherhood. They pay to avoid
dangerous assignments and bear expenses for uniforms, weapons,
vehicle repairs, and even official paperwork.
"If I don't pay, they'll still give me a uniform," says "Chris," a
motorcycle agent who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But it'll be
two sizes too small."
With an Income of just $280 per month, agents seek bribes to
supplement their pay. Chris says with an embarrassed grin that he
reaches $1,000 per month.
Giuliani will most likely recommend a salary raise, and
improved recruitment and training practices. Currently, entry
requirements are flimsy, attracting recruits with no more than
primary education. "The police is seen as the profession of last
resort," says Carlos Tornero, police chief in the town of Queretaro.
"When I walk down the street, people swear or make jokes
about me," says Chris. Raising salaries would send a message that
policemen are valued, regaining respect and attracting better
recruits.
It would be impossible to apply zero tolerance overnight, but
Mr. Ebrard has already started little by little. His policemen now
enforce traffic rules on the main thoroughfare of Insurgentes - no
small feat in Mexico City. The program has reduced traffic jams, and
some hope that it could show people the benefits of driving by the
rules.
Ortega defies the naysayers who say it can’t be done. “Either
we make a drastic change,” he says, “or else we’re fried.”
(From Monitor World)

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