Northern Mexcian Cops in Protest

This recent New York Times Article, Northern Mexico Cops Protest After Ambush Kills 3, addresses the demands of a disgruntled police force in the city of San Nicolas de la Garza. After the death of three of their colleague the police force went on strike until certain provisions were granted. Some of the provisions demanded are high-powered weapons to match the firepower of the drug gangs, bulletproof vests, and life insurance.

However, the immersion of these new demands are slowed because of collusion of municipalities with the drug gangs. Police forces in the state have been forbidden to carry cell phones, to prevent tip offs to the gangs about federal raids. There have been cases where local police, wielding automatic weapons, interfere with federal agents attempting to arrest drug suspects. In any regards, the disgruntled feelings of a battered police force are now coming to surface in these strikes.

This article is relevant to compartivists studying government because it addresses societal whims in particular with the police force. The government loses a shed of legitimacy when its police force is disgruntled and drug cartel gangsters control not only the streets but some of the police force as well. However, police forces participating in strikes shows that citizens are free to question their government's motives, and voice their concerns. This kind of transparency is imperative to a liberal democracy.