Mexican president introduces proposal to abolish notoriously corrupt municipal police forces

Mexican leader sends bill to disband local police

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Felipe Calderon has sent lawmakers a proposal to abolish Mexico’s notoriously corrupt and ineffective municipal police forces.

Under the initiative, each of Mexico’s 31 states would have just one police department under the command of the governor.

Calderon raised the idea months ago and formally submitted it to the Senate on Wednesday. He says the goal is to reduce corruption by eliminating hundreds of small police departments whose officers are poorly educated and badly paid.

Mexico has more than 2,000 local and state police departments. Many have been infiltrated by powerful drug cartels. And in some small towns, entire forces have quit after coming under attack by gangs that easily outgun them.