Their presence gives evidence of liberal reforms undertaken by the Mexico City government. Over stiff opposition from male officers, women have been given police careers. Female officers are less prone to corruption, so incorporating them accomplishes two important goals: a more egalitarian society and less extortion.
Although women have broken into the formerly all-male bastion of the police force, they are used mostly in trivial positions. I've never seen one issue a citation, and drivers ignore their orders more often than not. Moreover women remain shut out of the more notoriously corrupt departments such as the transitos of Estado de Mexico.
Women now serve with the federal police in positions of real importance and, given Mexico's drug wars, of considerable danger. Female police, female prosecutors, female judges—Mexico is finally getting law enforcement working.
In the 9:00 PM darkness I sit writing at my desk in the Hotel Gillow. I hear the women, sounding like crickets, pushing the last of the rush hour traffic through the intersection at Cinco de Mayo and Isabel la Católica: tweetweet, tweetweet, tweetweet, tweetweet, tweetweet. Their sounds make me feel comfortable and reassured.
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