The mayor of Paracho, Salvador Martínez Gutiérrez, defends the performance of his police force and advocates for maintaining the current scheme against the governor's proposal to eliminate local police.
The mayor of Paracho, Salvador Martínez Gutiérrez, has responded to the proposal from Michoacán's governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, which suggests eliminating municipal police and transferring oversight to state or federal forces. In a clear stance, Martínez Gutiérrez defended the performance of his police force and advocated for the continuity of the current scheme, although he warned that he would not incur in disobedience if Congress or the Executive imposes a mandatory restructuring.
The mayor's position arises as a direct response to the discussion opened by the governor to eradicate local security bodies in the state. Martínez Gutiérrez believes that this measure does not correspond to the operational reality experienced in the Purépecha Plateau, where his corporation has consolidated a common front alongside the Kuarichas, community rounds, and checkpoints at the entrances to indigenous towns.
As an example of the effectiveness of this collaboration, the mayor mentioned the recent Cantoya Balloon Festival, which took place without incident thanks to joint collaboration with the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the Civil Guard. This event demonstrated, according to Martínez Gutiérrez, that local coordination can be effective and that the elimination of municipal police is not the only way to improve security.
Despite defending the operational autonomy of his municipality, the mayor nuanced his statements by acknowledging the complexity and concern of the state governor regarding regional crime rates. He reiterated that he would maintain a line of institutional discipline to comply with legal reforms that ultimately come into effect, without outright opposing changes decided by higher authorities.
The municipal administration has a force of 60 officers, most of whom are from the original communities. However, Martínez Gutiérrez admitted that structural backlogs persist in terms of certification and training. Therefore, he urged prioritising the professionalisation and technical equipment of current officers before decreeing the dissolution of local command.
For the inhabitants of Paracho and the Purépecha Plateau, this defence of the municipal police represents support for a security model that integrates indigenous communities and has demonstrated concrete results in large events. The governor's proposal, still under discussion, could alter this scheme if it ultimately materialises into a legal reform.
For now, the mayor of Paracho remains firm in his stance but open to complying with decisions made by Congress or the state Executive. The key, according to Martínez Gutiérrez, lies in strengthening existing corporations before considering their elimination, a debate that promises to continue in the coming months.
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