He'll need to pack plenty of these.
Posted on 10/10/2002 11:03:11 AM PDT by NYer
MEXICO CITY (AP) _ Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has been hired to help rid this metropolis of its infamously high rates of kidnappings, robberies and murders. Giuliani, credited for reducing crime rates in New York by 65 percent, will work as a paid consultant to Mexico City officials for one year. It will be the first international security project for the former mayor's consultancy group.
Mexico City has long been plagued by crime. Cab drivers have been known to kidnap passengers, holding them for several days and driving them to automatic teller machines until their bank accounts are empty. Last month, Laura Zapata and Ernestina Sodi, sisters of Mexican actress and Latin Grammy performer Thalia, disappeared from their car after leaving a play in which Zapata had a starring role. A friend of the family said kidnappers have requested a ransom of $1 million. Thalia and her husband, Sony Music Chairman Tommy Mottola, were reportedly in the Mexican capital after Sodi and Zapata disappeared, but the family has declined to report the kidnapping to police.
An estimated two-thirds of all offenses in Mexico City go unreported because many people believe that officials are involved in crime _ or that the justice system is too corrupt and inefficient to do anything about it. Few reliable statistics on crime in the city exist, but a poll last month found that many Mexicans feel it is on the rise.
President Vicente Fox has made battling criminal activity a priority, and he has pressured Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to crack down on crime. The two agreed in February to name as police chief Marcelo Ebrard, a former congressman who specialized in investigating corruption cases. Ebrard will work with Giuliani and more than 15 people on the former mayor's team, including former police commissioner Bernard Kerik and former fire commissioner Thomas Von Essen. Giuliani is expected to begin work with Ebrard as early as next week. He will evaluate Mexico City's police force and make recommendations for improvements. Officials did not say Thursday how much the city was paying for Giuliani's services.
When asked about fears that Mexico City officials are turning over administration of the capital to U.S. authorities, Ebrard said Giuliani and his team will only make recommendations. Mexico City officials are under no obligation to follow them. ``We aren't going to be importing police,'' Ebrard said. ``We are interested in the organization, the system'' of fighting crime.
AP-ES-10-10-02 1255EDT
He'll need to pack plenty of these.
The crime in Mexico is so bad that in Juarez they're reconsidering some of their strict gun laws and thinking about allowing store owners to have guns. The other week there were 17 assasinations in just that one city.
I think the crime is quite recent. Mexico was quite safe 20 years ago. Even a city as large as Mexico City was pretty safe then, maybe not all neighborhoods but you didn't need to fear being kidnapped until fairly recently.
But, Rudy, what are you doing? If you make Mexico to hot for the Mexican criminals who are make money there, they will simply cross the border and start up here in the US where Mexican criminals and illegal aliens are "blessed." Don't do it, Rudy!!
Very large numbers of young Black males are alive today in New York City because of Rudy Giuliani. Like a prophet without honor in his own country, the man is reviled by those most in his debt.
I wish him well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.