0'03''

In crime ridden Mexico out gunning the villians is the number one priority.

0'10''

Trainer 1

So we‘re looking for body position, we‘re looking for body language and obviously we‘re looking for the appearance  of a weapon.

Open scene

0‘18''

On the outskirts of Mexico city, a training exercise for a new breed of bodyguards designed to protect Mexico‘s wealthy.  Fears of kidnappings amongst the rich combined with an ineffective police force means that for these latest recruits business has never been so good or so dangerous. 

0'41''

Trainer 2

Move, Move, move I mean they explain to you that if you have an amoured vehicle all the armour in the world doesn‘t do you any good because eventually those bullets are going to penetrate then it‘s over.

0'53''

The police force are in crisis.  These officers are having to fund themselves.  They have to pay for their own uniforms and bullets as well as repairs to their cars if they damage them in the line of duty.  And all this amidst the highest rate of crime in living memory.  On average, in down town Mexico city someone is mugged every 10 minutes.

1'22''

Gilberto Flores, Police force

This is the worst  neighbourhood for conflicts. Virtually everyone who lives here is a drug addict, or a thief.  And what happens when we, the police, turn up - well, we just get verbal abuse.

1'39''

But it‘s not just the neighbourhood criminals who are causing the crime. The city officials and supposed law enforcers are also part of the problem.   Here both the police and prosecution services are riddled with corruption.  And in a city with over 60,000 police it‘s a major problem. 

02.05

Alejandro Gertz is a former lawyer and now head of the police unit.  For two years he‘s been waging a war against crime and corruption.  His first target, most shockingly, was to investigate the men at the top.

2'20''

Alejandro Gertz, chief of police of Mexico City.

I realised I couldn't trust the police chiefs.

2'25''

Question:What do you mean exactly?

2'27''

Well, that they‘re not effectively protecting the public from crime.   That's their job.

You see, if you have a group of police in a certain district, and the number of criminals stays the same, then it seems to me that the police have got something to do with it. So they have to go.

2'47''

And go they are.  So far over a 100 police officers have been caught and tried for criminal activites.  But the former chief of city centre policing, Mario Montaño is not impressed.  Still wearing the old uniform he paid for, he believes the campaign to eradicate police corruption could present other problems.

3'07''

Mario Montaño, former police officer.

If I were them I'd be more worried about what the 1000 sacked civil servants are up to now.  How are they spending their time? And what are they doing with their skills.  These men know how to use arms, and they know the police and all their weaknesses. This is a serious problem.

3'33''

Montano now runs a private security business.  Although he acknowledges corruption exists, he questions how many how many people would risk their life for 200 dollars a month?

3'43''

Mario Montaño, former police officer

The state pretends to pay properly and the police pretend to work properly.  And it's the public who suffer the consequences - robbers don't pretend - they really hurt.

4'01''

In a city of 26 million people, each year, one person in a hundred will be assualted.  The real figure is undoubtadely much higher as many attacks are never reported.  People here know that criminals are rarely caught.  Those who do report crimes need the paperwork for their insurance and everyone has a crime story to tell.

4'24''

Domingo Baez,  Chauffeur

I was standing in front of my garage when two men on a motorbike approached me.  One got off the bike, and I thought he just wanted to ask me the way. Then he pulled out a gun and said ‘Don't move - this is a robbery'.

4'42''

The thieves stole 35 dollars and a mobile phone.  In the police station another man has a harrowing story to tell.

4'50''

Fernando Martinez, employee

Two men came into the shop where I work, apparently to repair some machines. But then they threatened us with guns.  We were forced to lay on the floor and were tied up with sticky tape. Then they disappeared with their loot.

5'15''

On this occasion the two suspects were caught and are being questioned.  They deny any involvement with the robbery but can‘t explain how the electric store‘s radios ended up in their bags.

5'29''

The arresting police officer intervenes. He says that the owner can identify the stolen radios and the two suspects are clearly lying.  But the men are sticking to their story. Worn down by a deluge of incidents like this one, the police appear unable to mount an effective enquiry into the incident.

05.57

Back on the streets and front line city policing.  This time it's nothing serious.  But the police are often under attack.  On average each year 50 officers are killed in the line of duty.  But despite their understandable caution the heavy handed approach creates resentment and cynicism in the community.

06.19

Deal with the real criminals instead.

6'21''

Which is what this man claims to have been.  A former thief now on the straight and narrow.

6'27''

El Pizarrón, former robber

I started when I was 18 because of the situation here.  It's still the same.  But now I earn a living from working.  Today I keep an eye on cars, instead of stealing them. After all, I have to think about my family.

6.49''

Imprisioned twice for robbery he says he's only small fry, a small-time robber compared to those at the top.

6'58''

El Pizarrón, former robber

You hear so much in the news  about real crime and serious robberies. Our former president, Salinas, robbed us all.  It‘s just the same thing. Right at the top, and right at the bottom.

7'18''

And it doesn‘t come much lower than this.  Drug dealing.  Every day fodder for the police but dangerous none the less.  A few days ago three of their colleagues were killed in a drugs related shoot-out.

7'32''

And while keeping the streets clean might not be well paid, it‘s not respected either.  The image of corruption is hard to shake off.

7'43''

Alberto Ruiz, Police Force

People only give us verbal abuse.

7'46''

Question: What do they say?

That we're also criminals or robbers. They even call us thugs.

8'00''

Alberto Ruiz, Police Force

Recently we caught a motorbike thief.  As we were trying to arrest him, his whole family came out and beat us up.  They attacked  us with steel bars and I was injuried on the head, and my colleague had her arm broken.

8'18''

Question: What was it like for you?

8'20''

Isela Mena, Police Force

I was scared.  I saw my own life pass before my  eyes and I thought about everything I could lose.

8'30''

Question: Do you have a family?

8'31''

Isela Mena, Police Force

Yes, two sons

8'38

Many Mexican politicians are demanding more police officers and harsher punishments but the remedy is not that simple.  Mexico already has more police officers per head than France and the US but they are poorly trained and poorly paid. With temptations at every turn it‘s inevitable that corruption exists.  If Mexico is to recover from its reputation as the capital of crime firstly it will need to look at its own law enforcement institutions.

Ends 09‘25

Concept: Renate Heilig
Camera: Silvestre Guidi
Sound: Luis Adan Zayas
Editor: Sivestre Guidi