None of the Mexican leaders say directly that the police of Tijuana have been made a laughingstock for educational purposes, but in the context of the recent actions of the country's new president Felipe Calderón, who declared war on both the drug mafia and corrupt state and municipal officials, the distribution of slingshots looks like a kind of punishment.
The fact is that virtually all 2,300 employees of the municipal police of Tijuana are under suspicion and are currently undergoing verification, reports the AP. Despite the fact that in the criminal wars on the city streets, the Tijuana Police Department lost 13 officers last year alone, the Mexican federal authorities believe that many of the local law enforcement officers, if not members of mafia structures, then at least turn a blind eye to the actions of drug traffickers. Notably, President Calderón, who promised his voters to eradicate organized crime, did not limit himself to one-time show operations to identify turncoats. He launched large-scale actions, sending troops to several states of the country with a high crime rate.
More than three thousand soldiers and federal police officers descended on Tijuana right after the New Year. They began with the complete disarmament of local law enforcement. All service weapons of the municipal police were sent for ballistic examination, which, according to investigators, should confirm or, conversely, disprove the involvement of each law enforcement officer in the drug mafia or other criminal groups. Such decisive actions by the Mexican president were approved by the northern neighbors, especially since along with the purge of police ranks in Tijuana, an operation was also conducted to detain drug traffickers who were smuggling cocaine and marijuana into the United States. Several arrested dealers were handed over to US authorities last week, and this extradition was called 'unprecedented in importance' by US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The unprecedented activity of federal security forces seems to have seriously frightened the police of Tijuana – including those who have nothing to do with drug gangs. After all, it is obvious that organized crime can respond to the arrest of its leaders with outbreaks of street violence, and law enforcement officers have no protective equipment left. But requests and even demonstrations by police demanding the return of their firearms did not affect the federal plans – the examination of seized pistols and rifles is being carried out in the prescribed manner. And when the police threatened to simply leave the streets, slingshots were offered to them as a means of protection. And even then not to everyone, but only to those who maintain order in the areas of Tijuana most popular with tourists.
Last week, slingshots and balls were handed over to 60 patrol officers. In case the 'ammunition' runs out, the police were allowed to 'shoot' stones. 'Of course, they hardly liked such special means, but they must ensure the safety of people,' said Fernando Bohórquez, a representative of the Tijuana Police Department.