Entire Police Force Disbanded in Mexico Port City
The entire police force in the major Gulf coast port city of Veracruz was dissolved this week, and Mexican officials sent the Navy in to patrol.
According to an msnbc report, the decision is part of an effort to root out police corruption and start from zero in the state's largest city.
The report said that 800 police officers and 300 administrative employees were laid off.
Armed marines barricaded police headquarters Wednesday and Navy helicopters were flying above the city where 35 bodies were dumped in September. It was one of the worst gang attacks of Mexico's drug war.
According to the report, the Navy operations will last only until the state can train more of its own police.
President Felipe Calderon has pushed an ambitious process for vetting all of Mexico's 460,000 police officers. His administration allocated $331 million for 200 cities to train and re-equip municipal police forces.
However governors have complained they lack the resources to ensure their police forces are clean.
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