Mexico’s president-elect is promising to increase the size of the federal police and military by 50,000 members, expanding the forces by one-sixth.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says he will personally oversee an effort to “pacify” the violence plaguing the country.
Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that he doesn’t like the word “recruitment,” but instead would try to encourage young people to join up with better conditions, benefits, and opportunities.
The program will seek to increase the size of the federal police, which currently has 37,000 members. It would also boost the 210,000-member army and 54,000-strong Navy.
Mexico’s military forces have been called on to participate in civilian law enforcement duties, amid a rise in homicides and violent crime.
