Jalisco Police Chief Carlos Najera has denied rumors that he will take a leave of absence in order to come back refreshed under the new administration of governor Aristotles Sandoval, who takes office on March 1, 2013.
Sandoval has signaled that he wants Najera to remain in charge of state public security (Seguridad Publica del Estado).
Najera has won praise for his no nonsense approach to policing; unlike many former security chiefs he started his career as a rank-and-file police officer in 1988. He regularly attends courses abroad to be conversant with the most advanced policing methods.Najera has forged close ties with the foreign community in the Lake Chapala area, turning up for several public meetings to discuss way of improving security in the area.
Najera advocates dismantling the 125 municipal polices forces in Jalisco to create a single state force under a central command. He believes this is the only way to get the upper hand on the criminal groups and be able to match their considerable weaponry, which is usually far superior to that of municipal forces.