Commanders of at least 25 municipal police forces made the black list of 4,415 Jalisco law enforcement officials who failed to make the grade in the “Control de Confianza” vetting exam designed to weed out personnel not apt for duty.
Among the top guns who flunked some part of the comprehensive test were Zapopan Public Security Director Hernán Guízar Maldonado and Chapala Police Chief Ramón del Arco Pérez. Guizár is one of the 16 commanders reported to have already resigned or been relieved of duty. Del Arco is apparently on the list of the other nine who will get a second chance thanks to the intervention of their respective mayors.
As mandated under the state’s Ley de Control de Confianza enacted in June 2012, all officials working in Jalisco law enforcement agencies were required to submit to a battery of tests that include physical, medical and psychological evaluations, toxicology exams to detect substance abuse, socioeconomic studies to look for signs of illicit income and family problems, polygraph testing for grilling on possible ties to organized crime, corruption and other illegal behavior.
October 31 was set as the deadline to complete and pass the exams. The statewide purge of the law enforcement system, including state and local police forces and other officials employed in criminal justice agencies, began in earnest this week.
Raw Numbers
A total of 20,444 Jalisco enforcement officials went through the examination process. Of those, 16,029 passed the tests and 4,415 failed. Of those who came up short, 3,090 are eligible for reevaluation while 1,325 were immediately shown the door.
So far, 662 police officers in the Guadalajara metropolitan area have been axed. Around 200 working in the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalia) as detectives or in district attorney agencies are being suspended or sacked.
In Chapala, 13 officers were handed their walking papers at the end of last month, while the police chief and 15 others are up for reevaluation. The cut-off for the new procedures is tentatively set for March of next year.
In a chat with reporters this week, a weary del Arco remained philosophical about his precarious status, hinting at a disposition to retire after a long career in police work and stressful conditions in his current job.
Coping with a depleted staff of around 80 officers covering two 24-hour shifts, a fleet of patrol vehicles that are for the most part in bad shape, and insufficient funding to adequately carry out maintenance and repairs or acquire new equipment, the rigors of his post have clearly taken a toll.
“It’s exhausting,” he stated glumly. “Thank God, things have been tranquil around here lately.”
Meanwhile, Chapala Mayor Joaquin Huerta has refused to disclose the specific reasons why local police were blacklisted. And his official pronouncement on the matter, promised before the end of the week, has yet to be issued.