Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard stated at a conference that the capital has a low level of corruption in its security forces and justice system relative to the rest of the country, OEM reports. He pointed out that the city is not a transit point for drugs, nor close to the U.S. border, so is not a turf particularly disputed by the country’s drug trafficking organizations. This means that it is less likely that these organizations will bribe high-ranking officials or co-opt police.
Mexico City’s relative calm may also be connected to the fact that the city and its surroundings are often used as a hideout for major kingpins, who are more interested in maintaining a low profile than risking open combat with opposing crime syndicates. Ebrard used these considerations to justify his opposition to a country-wide unified police system, on the grounds that having its own police is part of the city’s success.
The mayor avoided criticizing the government’s fight against drug cartels, but said that its strategy needs to be strengthened and to focus on blocking the drug-trafficking organizations’ financial capacities.