Guerrero: warning of risk of greater militarization of state police forces

(@Animal Político)

In a joint pronouncement published on 16 May 2012, the Tlachinollan Mountain Center for Human Rights, the Institute for Security and Democracy, the Fundar Center for Analysis and Investigation, and the Civil Police Monitor expressed their concern for “the recent announcement made by Angel Aguirre Rivero, governor of Guerrero, that he would soon begin to substitute soldiers for the state police who find themselves up for retirement or who have failed their accreditation exams […] given that the move to militarize public-security institutions goes against the spirit of the international standards regarding citizens’ security.”  With this, they refer to the international principle that establishes that states should limit the use of armed forces as much as possible “regarding internal disturbances, given that the training they receive is directed at defeating the enemy, and not for the protection and control of civilians, a type of training that corresponds to police forces.”

Beyond this, the organizations affirmed that in this sense would be avoided the obligation to make-professional the state police, which “also goes against international standards, particularly those that refer to the need to train and develop preventive polices rather than reactive ones.”  They indicated furthermore that this strategy “has resulted in being ineffective, as has been demonstrated in the experiences of Chihuahua and Nuevo León”.

In contrast, they suggest that “In light of the prevailing conditions of insecurity, we reiterate that state authorities, rather than opting for the militarization of the police, should advance the modernization of these institutions so as to confront the challenges required for the realization of an equitable, habitable, safe, and democratic social environment.  For this reason, to demilitarize the police and refound it on the basis of its civilian mission and its obligations to the people should be the characteristics for police reform in Guerrero.”

Para más información:

Boletín conjunto de OSC Participación del Ejército en tareas de seguridad pública en México, contrario a estándares internacionales en materia de seguridad ciudadana (16 de mayo de 2012)

Critican ONG militarización en Guerrero (La Jornada, 16 de mayo de 2012)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Briefs Guerrero: Challenge to OSC regarding Operation “Secure Guerrero” (18 October 2011)