Opposition Senators called for the Calderón Administration to do more in the fight aganist crime. They chastised the administration for being slow to implement certain measures like creating a national crime database, separating violent offenders from regular prisoners in jails, establishing drug rehab centers, and police improvement and certification programs.
Congress members claimed that there is no way to measure police forces’ progress even though evaluating quality is essential for improving policing. They also stated that, even though the possession of certain quantities of drugs has been legalized to avoid incarcerating non-violent drug addicts that could be sent to rehab centers instead, little has changed in this respect. Street cops are still known to shake down suspects and arrest them for minor drug possession, despite the new laws.
Leading Senators pointed out how many recently-arrested crime lords have not had their property and other assets seized, though the government could supposedly do so under the “Ley de Extinción de Dominio.” This law passed last year allows the government to seize the assets belonging to those believed to be involved in criminal organizations. Crime lords’ physical assets are sometimes used as the locations for drug production and their financial resources often finance their organizations’ operations. As such, by arresting cartel bosses, one can damage both the cartels’ leadership and operations.
Congress cites the importance of enforcement of the laws. As such, this debate highlights the need to strengthen the rule of law in Mexico, as a component for crime control strategy.
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