(NewsWorthy.news) – A city in Mexico is one of the most dangerous places for police officers, with more than 30 law enforcement members being killed there during the past three years.
Celaya, a city in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, has a population of 500,000. In the last three years, however, this city has seen a minimum of 34 cops killed. Guanajuato, whose population is barely more than 6 million, had a total of around 60 police officers shot and killed in 2023.
Comparatively, only 47 police officers were killed in “firearms-related” incidents in the entire United States last year. These deaths made up the largest category of the total 136 deaths in the line of duty of all police, including federal, state, and county officers.
The rate of American cops killed with firearms last year decreased by 25% from 2022, when the nation saw 63 police officers shot to death.
Mexico, on the other hand, has seen a rise in police fatalities in recent years. The 412 cops who were killed last year increased roughly 2% compared to police fatalities in 2022. Guanajuato not only has the highest casualty rate among law enforcement officers but is also home of the most murders in all of Mexico.
Celaya in particular has made headlines recently for its alarmingly high rates of police killings, which are the center of debate about national security ahead of the Mexican presidential election, which is scheduled for June 2.
Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador has initiated a policy that aims to avoid negotiating with cartels, an effort that has been ignored by Celaya, which instead promotes the idea of locals seeking peace agreements with rival gangs. Obrador is known for his opposition to police and preference for using his military for public safety. He has previously eliminated a federal police force over accusations they were corrupt.
Celaya has maintained its local police agency amid the rising number of cop killings. The nation as a whole is facing a severe shortage of officers, including the total absence of them in certain towns. Additionally, thousands of officers who worked for the since dissolved federal police are out of work as they declined to join the agency’s National Guard replacement.
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