Professionalizing the Police

From the WSJ:
MEXICO CITY — When pressed about why Mexico is struggling in its battle with illegal-drug cartels, Genaro García Luna, the nation’s top police official, likes to put his inquisitors on the spot with a question: Would you encourage your child to become a Mexican cop?
I’ve heard of at least one student who wanted [...]

Ending Opacity

From the WSJ:
In the past, the way Mexico dealt with corruption was with eyes wide shut. Everyone knew a large number of government officials were taking bribes, but no one did anything about it. Transparency commissioners were set up, but given no teeth.
And Mexico’s drug traffickers used the lax law enforcement their bribes bought them [...]

Reporting the Red Tape

The LA Times reports on Mexican bureaucracy:
The often-Kafkaesque requirements encourage residents to offer bribes as a way around the labyrinthine tramites. A study last year by the nonprofit group Transparency Mexico found that Mexico’s 105 million residents annually pay bribes totaling more than $2 billion, often for basic services such as getting a water line [...]