Beginning This Month, Mexico's Scaled Down Gendarmerie Will Protect Industry Marguerite Cawley - InSight Crime
go to original July 3, 2014

Mexico's Gendarmerie has been slated to begin operations as a force dedicated to protecting industries threatened by organized crime. The plans represent a significant scaling down of the size and role initially foreseen for the body.

According to Mexico's Security Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido, the National Gendarmerie will begin operating this month with 5,000 members, with plans to double this number in the future, reported EFE.

The new force will be responsible for protecting the "productive chains" of crops such as limes in Michoacan state or tomatoes in Sinaloa state, by monitoring the harvesting, transport and sales processes. The gendarmes will also provide support in mining regions, reported Prensa Latina.

Federal Police Commissioner Enrique Galindo told EFE the decision was part of a "paradigm shift" aimed at providing security for a sector that had until now not been adequately protected from organized crime.

The first members of the new force were chosen out of over 100,000 applicants based on the results of rigorous testing, according to officials.

Read the rest at InSight Crime

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