I’m sure that more than a few people were left scratching their heads when a Marisol Valles, 20-year-old criminology student became the top cop in the town of Praxedis Guadalupe Guerrero. People normally devote years of fighting their way up the chain of command to become Chief of Police – unless they live in violence-torn northern Mexico.
Nobody in Praxedis wanted the job; which is understandable perhaps – the last mayor of the town died a violent death this June and several police officers have met similar fates. There were eight murders in the last week alone, a substantial number for a big city, much more so for a town with a population of around 10,000. Violence is an unfortunate part of life for those living next door to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico’s most violent city. More than 28,000 people have been killed over the last four years in Chihuahua state. Government officials, police officers and military personnel are among the dead.
Why a young mother who is still in university put her hand up for what is arguably one of the world’s most dangerous jobs is best described in her own words:
I took the risk because I want my son to live in a different community to the one we have today. I want people to be able to go out without fear, as it was before.
Fortunately for Valles, the region’s narcotraficante problem is now the responsibility of the military – she and the 18 police officers in her charge will be focused on less dangerous tasks like rehabilitating public spaces and improving relationships between neighbors – which may sound kind of flaky until one considers that the Juarez valley region saw more than 2,500 murders last year.
Valles clearly lacks the policing experience that would qualify her for the job, but that could work in her favor. If the cartels don’t perceive her as a threat then they may leave her alone to tackle the town’s non-drug-related problems, of I’m sure that there are plenty.
