Guiding a 500 kilo machine through chaos is no easy exercise.

This is Lima, Peru, a city where car drivers wouldn’t dare take their eyes off the road. motorcyclers have to be even more alert. On these streets, driving is a combat, takes nerves to win. Traffic lights are ignored. No one reads the words on signs.

Lili Campos drives downtown Lima on a Harley Davidson. She drives past crossing and steers clear of potholes riding a bike that weighs ten times as much as she does. She’s a fifty kilo cop battling the heaviest traffic. Today Lili is heading towards the beach boulevard where she will chase reckless drivers, drivers talking on cell phones and drivers who aren’t wearing seat belts.

When she gets to the beach, Lili shows she was born to ride.

Her first victim. The driver wasn’t wearing a seat belt. It wight seem like a minor offence, but for Lili, it’s a serious problem. She follows her routine, checking the driver’s licence and registration, checking the driver’s identity. For this driver, the fine is serious too: seventy five Soles, about twenty Euros, and it has to be paid it seven days. Usually drivers who break the rules can get away much cheaper in Peru, but not if they meet Lili Campos.

Lili Campos:

You can’t corrupt women in Peru. Why not? Because we’re very strict and don’t accept that. Sure, there have been cases from time to time. Colleagues of mine have been offered money, but they immediately arreste the person, and taken to the next police station.

Narrator:

In Peru, it doesn’t usually work that way.

Police in this country have a bad name. They’re easily corrupted. 5 or 10 Soles is enough to bribe your way out of a ticket. For the low-paid police officers, it’s extra money. For the traffic offenders, it’s an easy way out. But thanks to officers like Lili, getting away with it is about to get much harder.

Four years ago, Peruvian police created a special force called the Phoenix Brigade, specialist in controlling traffic. It’s made up entirely of young women riding Harleys. Drivers fear the Phoenix officers. They’re among the few police that don’t take bribes. The women are considered incorruptible. And they work hard to keep their reputation.

The brigade with a mythical name is based in a worn-down part of the city, an industrial neighborhood in South Lima. But like the Greek namesake, the Phoenix officers are dedicated to rising from the ashes of corruption, and set a shining example for the rest of the force.

At headquarters, the way bosses see it, female officers aren’t as corruptible as the men. Women also haven’t been around as long. Fresh from the police academy, they haven’t picked up the same bad habits as their veterant male colleagues.

The working hours for the Phoenix women are quite long.

?? and her colleague Leana Falcone leave their unit for the second time today. They know what’s ahead.

Bad roads. Bad neighborhoods. Very bad drivers. Some of the worst drivers drive buses, and they don’t like being stopped by women. They rarely admit they’ve done anything wrong.

?? rarely lets them get away with it. This is a job that requires a strong character.

?? (one of the Phoenix officer)

Some drivers, i don’t know, because they lack culture, or because they’re ignorant, they come after us. They wait for us when we leave. When we finish working. They see opportunities. They want to push us around. They threatened a lot of our colleagues.

Narrator:

The Phoenix Brigade considers itself a family. The truth is, it’s hard to have a family life outside of the unit: They typically work sixteen-hour days. After her lunch break, Lili Campos joins her colleagues in the Phoenix sports team. It’s a typical day for the young woman: in the morning, she’s on her bike; at noon, she plays volleyball; in the evening, she’s back on her bike.

Coach:

We know when the women can give more, and when they can’t. So communication exists. And they’re having to work very hard. The legs do a lot of work. This is resistance work.

Narrator:

For Lili, taking a sports break is a welcome change of pace. The game takes her far away from the streets of Lima. For three hours, she forgets about work.

Lili:

This relaxes you. While playing, we’re supposed to relax and get rid of all the stress you have while on duty.

It’s not long before the sun sets. For loads of workers, the day’s over. But Samantha Alban is going back to work. At rush hour, she’s been dispatched at an intersection on the outskirts of Lima. This is part of a citywide crackdown on bus and taxi drivers.

The public buses, called combis, shuttle thousands of Peruvians between work and home everyday. It can be a real adventure. Many drivers don’t have licences. Most do have long wrap sheets filled with traffic offences. From six in the morning to ten at night, they sit there behing the wheel, behind all the other traffic. They’re only paid thirty Soles a day. So when bus drivers confront the Phoenix Brigade, they’ve already spent most of the day being annoyed.

Bus driver #1

Don’t like them so much. Friends, maybe.

Bus driver #2

Some of my colleagues have tried to bribe police officers. But not women. They don’t accept it. I don’t know how to bribe the women. As opposed to the men: you can bribe them. But the women… no. It’s difficult.

Narrator:

Samantha’s only been on the road for a few minutes when a driver tries to escape. But it’s no use. It only takes a few seconds to catch him. The way the driver sees it, it’s worth the try. the way the women see it, it’s just a nice contest. They’ve located the bus and bring the driver to the police station. Where he’s arrested.

It turns out, he didn’t have his driver’s licence and didn’t want to identify himself. They seize his combi and keep the driver here

Officer:

You always see those trying to escape. You see it happen with a lot of female personel, it happens all the time. But when you have personel on motorcycles, we can pursue them. Because we can’t let them get away with the infractions they commit

Narrator:

It’s now half past ten. After sixteen hours of cruising, Samantha Alban is ready to part with the bike. Her work for the day is done. It’s a rewarding job, but the rewards don’t come in cash. One month, many of the days like today, brings a pay cheque worth only two hundred dollars.

A Saturday at the house of Pilar Viata’s. She’s at home, something which happens none too often. The thirty-four year old mother of two is one of the founders of the Phoenix Brigade. Every other saturdy, she gets the day off, which doesn’t leave her much time to do homework with her daughters. Without Mum around, they’ve learnt to take care of themselves. They even fight with her whose turn it is to set the table. Both want the responsibility. Pila has to work week ends to make up for her low wages. Her salary’s her family’s main source of income. It’s hard to feed a family on an officer’s budget in Peru. Thankfully she doesn’t have to worry about rent. She owns the house she shares with her children and her husband, Henri. She bought it years ago, when she was at the police academy. It’s one less headache for the family. Because she works such long hours, there’s plenty of stress under this roof. Pilar and Henri fight about her hours. Henri’s an officer too. His schedule’s far more flexible. In his free time, Henry takes care of the house. He’s not happy his wife spends much less time here than at work.

Henri:

When do we get to see each other? Almost never, because of her job, and the schedule she has. We only see each other after midnight or eleven at night, almost everyday. Then we go to sleep, and nothing else. She and I, because of the jobs we have, we both come home tired, and so we sleep. A lot of the time, we’ll find the other already in bed, sleeping. And when it’s time for vacations, we’ll spend that time with the children.

Narrator:

The family has to make the most of the little time it has together. Week-end afternoons in the park are rare. Pilar tries to spend as much time as she can with her family. She tries to help her children experience things that children of other officers can’t enjoy. She often thinks of finding another job, or changing her post so that she can spend more time with her children. But she loves her work almost as much as she loves them.

Pilar:

Sometimes I think about my daughters, and the truth is, I’d like to leave for another job. But when I think what’s in my heart, my feelings for my job are such that I don’t regret working there. For me it’s worthwhile, it’s worth so much to be in this squadron. Because people admire you. Your family’s proud of you. My friends all say ‘Pilar, it’s so beautiful that you’re there!’ Logically, there not thinking of the consequences that one could face in the job, about an accident. No. But just being there… well, it’s the pride that one feels, and for me… I’ll never leave my squadron.

Narrator:

Within the brigade, there’s a very strong sense of team spirit. The Phoenix women don’t think of themselves as officers in just any police unit. They think of themselves as an elite force, and the Harley is the tool they use to gain their respect.

But in many ways, women are still battling for respect. At first glance, the Phoenix Brigade looks like a proud squadron of women. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find it’s commanded by nine men. Not one woman holds a position of power.

Commander Jose Fernandez is the Phoenix Brigade’s Commander in Chief. He says he has no proble leaving women out of leadership.

Jose Fernandez:

We often play not just the role of boss, leader, but we also sometimes act like an older brother, advising them, guiding them. We also help with aspects of their professional, personal, moral lives, because there are parts of this job that have an effect on the life of every woman.

Narrator:

the Phoenix Brigade trains at this velodrome and tracks have fifty-degree bends. The training’s acrobatic and is part of their job. It’s a physical and mental workout. They study every move closely. The smallest error can have big consequences. There’s a rule on the velodrome: never use your brake. And never make a wrong move.

For Lili Campos, the velodrome isn’t as intimidating as it used to be. She’s been on the acrobatic team for seven years now, and she’s never had an accident. Some people call the acrobatics suicidal. Lili calls it fun. The women don’t ride their motorcycles like most riders, they have to be acrobats. Centimeters can mean the difference between life and death.

Lili:

Sure there’s a little fear, but it only takes a little courage and bravery to overcome that. In practice, most of the time, we’re practising to get past all of that. If nothing else, every person can do whatever he or she wants to do.

Narrator:

It’s not always pretty. One member of the Phoenix Brigade, Maria Paul Grandes, touched the brake. For her the dust in the velodrome became a water slide. She wasn’t hurt, just bumps and bruises. But it’s over with her days’ work.

The acrobatics are more than a show for visitors. They have a real practical value.

Officer:

How does it help them? You know that on Peru’s highways, we have so much congestion in general, and some other problems like potholes and construction. These exercises show them how much power the motorcycles have and driving this type of machine on the street comes much easier.

Narrator:

Lili Campos puts her velodrome training to use on the street. Lima’s traffic is hellish. This city might have the worst rush hour traffic anywhere, and some days it seems only the strong would survive. If you can drive a motorcycle here, you can drive it through anything.

Lili survives. And she heads back to the Phoenix unit around ten at night. At ten o’clock, the night’s still young. Lima’s nightlife starts late. Discos don’t open before midnight, and don’t close before the sun comes up. Lili and her friends meet at a club called Tropical, in the heart of downtown. The officers have two free weekends a month. That leaves some time for having fun. At the Tropical there’s live music almost every night. And there’s always lots to do. Without their uniforms, they look like any other twenty year old Peruvians. As long as they’re single and as long as they have energy to burn, they’ll be at the Tropical on the weekend.

On the other side of town, Pilar is getting ready for work. It’s half past four in the morning. By now, she’s been through the routine more times than she can count. She moves quickly, she has to. The bus won’t wait for her. She sets the breakfast table for her husband and daughters. Packs lunches for her daughters to take to school. And every morning, the last part of her routine, is kissing her daughters good bye. She doesn’t get to talk to them.

Pilar:

I only see them sleeping, when I say good bye to them. They’re almost never awake. When I come home, they’re not awake either. I’m here at eleven or midnight. I saw them once recently when I woke up to take them to school and got to spend the whole day with them.

This morning, Henri also woke up to say good bye. After a brief kiss, Pilar runs after the bus. It’s just a quarter after five in the morning and there aren’t many people on the street. Most of them are men. Pilar has to get into one of the buses she’ll be watching that day. The trip over the Panamerican Highway, from Pilar’s house to the Phoenix unit lasts almost an hour. Unlike many of her colleagues, Pilar lives on the outskirts of Lima. In this city of seven million people, it’s much cheaper to live in one of the suburbs.

She’s made it on time. It’s a quarter past six and works starts straight away. Lili also made it on time. Even though she never made it to bed. The commander in chief checks every officer’s appearance. For him it’s the most important detail. The boots have to shine, the shirts have to be ironed, the hair fit into a net, for safety reasons. Makeup has to look good, but it can’t be too heavy.

Neither officer has eaten breakfast yet. They grab an extra five minutes of sleep and then grab a quick bite with their colleagues. It’s six fifteen and they line up in the yard at the headquarters. If they arrive one minute late, they will have to live at the unit for the next four days without going home. It’s strict military drill and discipline. After roll call, they get their marching orders.

Each officer patrols a different sector of the city. Pilar and Lili have to train this morning. They won’t be tracing circles on their bikes. The Phoenix members have to train regularly. It keeps their skills sharp. Today, they’re in a calm residential neighborhood.

This is the police shooting range. Once a month, Pilar and Lili go there to train for emergencies. Even though the Phoenix members are traffic police, each one carries a gun.

Sometimes, the job requires more than chasing drivers. Sometimes, they go after robbers and thieves. Pilar explains how they’re trained.

Pilar:

First you fire three warning shots. That’s three shots in the air. This warns the criminal you are better prepared than he is. But then you could lose, you could have an unhappy ending. If the criminal knows what he’s doing, then he’ll probably keep on doing what he’s been doing and you risk getting shot. But if he’s a beginner, he’ll probably freeze after the first shot. It can be an opportunity to catch him and bring him to the police station.

Narrator:

The results are quite different: Pilar had nine or ten shots. Lili had only three.

back at the unit, it’s quiet now. Almost all other officers have gone out on their patrols. Only Samantha Alban came back. Her Harley’s been losing oil, so she hands it over to Romeo Rojo, the mechanic. She uses her free time to get her hair done. The Phoenix Brigade has its own hairdressers, in the barracks. The cut costs three Soles, almost a dollar. Like any good hairdresser she does more than cut hair. She tells the officers about life and love.

Haidresser:

They’re very sweet. They tell me: you cut my hair, you see how I am, you treat me well. Because I’ve grown to know them well over time. Sometimes I see they’re sad or something, and they’ll start talking. they’ll say: this is happening to me, what do you think I should do? I’ll give them advice. And because I’m slightly older, I’ve had more experience with these things. Them trust me and I trust them.

Narrator:

the mechanics have their own problems to solve. It goes beyond the Harley losing oil. Some just can’t be fixed anymore. Peru is a poor country and police can’t afford the replacement parts the bikes need. So the mechanics invent solutions. These were original Harleys but new bikes would cost too much. He knows the bikes wouldn’t get fixed if it weren’t for his inventions.

Mechanic:

If you have to take apart the entire motor, then yes. If we have parts the job is easier. Matters aren’t as easy as you’d imagine. Expensive if you use the same brand. It also depends on which parts are broken. Some are more expensive to maintain.

Narrator:

Some of the Harleys are beyond help. They’re laying to rest in the motorcycle cemetery in the backyard. The police don’t know if they’re going to get money to buy new ones. Without the Harleys, there is no Phoenix Brigade. Members try to give their Harleys lots of tender loving care, hoping the bikes would be with them for the long haul.

When they’re working, the Harleys are more than a means of transport for the officers, they’re a decoration. This afternoon, Pilar and Lili are patroling the streets, hunting for drivers breaking the rules. They catch a taxi driver. He ran a red light. Clear violation. The traffic stops. Pilar checks his licence and his identity. He’s fined 75 Soles, about $18.50, that’s more than he makes in an entire day. And he’s not happy. He tries to flee. He hits a bus and hit Pilar, who’s just missed getting hit by passing cars. But this pursue ends like most. Pilar rides her way through the traffic jam. The taxi driver gets stuck. His problems are getting worse. Pilar seizes the car registration and orders the driver to follow her to the station. The passengers’ ride is over too. They have to catch another ride. At the police staion, Pilar finds out it wasn’t the first blemish on the taxi driver’s record. There’s a long list of violations attached to his car. The police seize his car but for now they let the driver go. They’ll see him in court, when they sue him for bringing the life of a police officer in danger. For Pilar, it wasn’t that unusual a day. But days like this make it very clear to her: she’s got a dangerous job.

Pilar:

Besides being proud of myself, my daughters are proud of me. It’s a little difficult because, if you think about it, at any minute, something could happen to me. I think about my daughters and nothing else. I can only pray to God nothing bad happens to me while I stay in this dangerous job. I keep going forward because I like to serve. I like to work on a motorcycle.

Narrator:

Working on their motorcycles, the Lima traffic police ride into battle everyday. Fighting bad drivers, potholes and chaos. Seems like they’re fighting against all odds. But they’re addicted. And they’re determined to win.