A Glimpse of Mexico's New Comprehensive Crime Prevention Plan Lauren Villagran - The Christian Science Monitor
go to original February 13, 2013

Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto (c.) holds a meeting with Interior Minister Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong (l.), Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam (r.), Pemex Director Emilio Lozoya (2nd r.) and military personnel at the headquarters of state-owned oil giant Pemex in Mexico City, last week. The details of President Nieto's security strategy have been trickling out since he took office in December. (Mexico Presidency/Reuters)

MEXICO CITY - Mexico’s government on Tuesday launched a comprehensive crime prevention plan aimed at strengthening communities hard-hit by the violence of an ongoing drug war.

The details of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s security strategy have been trickling out since he took office in December. Unlike former President Felipe Calderón’s government, which publicly announced troop deployments and paraded suspected criminals before television cameras, Peña Nieto has so far been quiet on the details of his security strategy.

And while the new administration hasn’t backed away from using the military to fight crime entirely – the controversial strategy favored by his predecessor – it promised a more multifaceted approach.

Yesterday's announcement of Mexico's new crime prevention program delivers on that promise. The program aims to target the roots of crime, including violence in the home and in schools. It also includes preventing addictions and detecting behavioral issues in young people early. To achieve these goals, the interior ministry will coordinate efforts across nine different federal agencies including health, education, economy, and social development, among others.

“We’re convinced that combat and punishment alone won’t resolve the problem,” Interior Minister Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong told local press.

Read the whole story at The Christian Science Monitor

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