 |
| Residents of Guerrero municipality join Community Police force Photo: Daniel Cruz |
Milenio: Mariana Otero-Briz and Rogelio Agustín Esteban
Chilpancingo, Guerrero • Leaders of the municipality of John R. Escudero, Guerrero, announced that residents who formed its self-defense group have officially become community police officers, bringing the total to forty municipalities in the state operating under this scheme.
During an assembly, the residents decided to join the Citizen System of Security and Justice (SSJC), charged with ensuring the safety of the communities affected by organized crime and "restoring dignity" to its inhabitants.
John R. Escudero is the municipality with the largest population to join the SSJC, which was formed by the Union of Organized Peoples of Guerrero (UPOEG). Since January, this citizen movement has promoted the self-defense system to curb criminal activities.
In March, the UPOEG self-defense group became incorporated into a community police organization, the SSJC, which operates in eight municipalities of the Costa Chica [Little Coast]: Tecoanapa, Ayutla, Cruz Grande, San Marcos, Copala Cuautepec, Marquelia and Azoyú.
John R. Escudero is the ninth municipality in Guerrero to join the SSJC that does not belong to the Costa Chica.
According to Bruno Plácido Valerio, UPOEG leader, this alternative security system now has among its ranks more than 2,900 community police officers and is spreading rapidly in different parts of the state.
This Sunday, hundreds of community police officers of the SSJC marched on the national highway to the sports center in John R. Escudero, where they made their official presentation.
Jorge García Hernández, head of the Monitoring Committee, confirmed that there are groups operating in communities [in the municipality] such as San Juan del Reparo, Chacalapa, El Zapote, Las Piñas, La Palma, Omitlán, Tlayolapa, Michapa, Villa Guerrero, Palo Gordo and El Potrero.
In the community of Garrapatas, the violence has resulted in only women taking over the defense of the town, because "the men are afraid."
At the event, the community police commander for the area, Ernesto Gallardo Grande, gave a report of the results obtained by groups in the area affiliated with UPOEG, considered "settled by organized crime groups."
Gallardo said the residents are exposed to crimes such as kidnapping, murder, rape and extortion; hence, the lack of results by the authorities required the collaboration of the entire community. The criminals
"ask us to pay fees as if we were cattle farmers, but we're not at that level. Just because we have a cow, they want fees," he lamented.According to UPOEG's report, the community police have managed to contain the violence in their communities and, without having intelligence agencies, they have been able to locate clandestine graves and safe houses.
"We have recovered dignity, peace and tranquility. Our fight against crime is to restore order and dignity back to the people, we only pursue the criminals that mess with us," he said.Placido Valerio said that the UPOEG seeks to apply a strategy of development in the communities where drug trafficking will be counteracted from the perspective of "a health problem". Spanish original