Fighting Crime in Mexico City

1 minute read
By TIME

Photographer Erik Meza rides with the Federal Police in the Mexican capital as they battle a seemingly endless wave of lawlessness

Out in Force

Federal Police prepare to raid a house in the south of Mexico City alleged to be a sales point for narcotics. In the last 10 years, Mexico has usurped Colombia as the drug-trafficking center of the Americas, creating an atmosphere ripe for criminal activity.

Innocent Bystander

This man was killed in a hit-and-run by three teenagers fleeing in a stolen vehicle.

Rough Neighborhood

Settled by squatters who lost their homes in the 1985 earthquake, La Joya (jokingly known as "The Hole") is rife with gang activity. It is said that approximately 20% of the area residents cooperate with a gang led by a man known as "The Baby".

Chase

Officials confer during a search for teenagers who stole a car.

Contraband

Approximately 60 packets of cocaine and a substantial quantity of marijuana were found in this house in the south of the city.

Raid

The officers interrogate a suspect.

Life on the Streets

In 2003, a consortium of businessmen hired former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to advise the city on its crime problem. Though the Mexicans have tried to adopt the strategy of cracking down on small crime that he recommended, the crime rate in the capital has remained constant.

Busted

Teenagers found in a stolen car are taken to a police station in Cuauhtemoc.

Patrol

Though rampant corruption has led many Mexicans to doubt the integrity of the police, authorities see hope in the increase in the percentage of citizens who report crimes.

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