Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Discouraging Criminal-Justice Careers

UNAM rector José Narro was not interested in a program to encourage students from the system's high schools to join the Federal Police:
The rector dismissed that in a circumstance like the current one, options for young people lie within the Federal Police.

He revealed that UNAM would not sign any agreements with the Secretariat of Public Security headed by Genaro García Luna, so that youths graduating from high school join the ranks of the Federal Police and carry out activities of intelligence or police work.

"We have decided to simply say 'No thanks' to this type of situation", he said.
Narro didn't go into much depth and the wisdom of his decision depends to a large degree on the specifics of the program, but this knee-jerk rejection of government security as a calling, if indeed that was what was behind it, is unfortunate. UNAM's high school students are presumably a sharp bunch; Mexico's security agencies are in need of sharp and uncorrupted people. The complementarity is obvious, as are the stakes, given Mexico's security problems. Whatever anyone thinks of Calderón and García Luna, an improved Federal Police is a big part of any solution to Mexico's current difficulties, and it's not going to get any better without encouraging talented people to join.

One obvious American parallel was the Ivy League's ROTC ban, which was evidently a fiction, but even if it were real, the big difference is that the US military is not quite so starved of talent as are Mexican security agencies.

2 comments:

Seymour T said...

You don't have the whole story. I have followed Naro for years and while he may have a small tail Luna's has a rap around.
Naro does not disagree that a strong and un corrupt police force is an important part of the solution it is only a Part of the solution. Thus Naro would rather The UNAM focus other programs that are needed.

ps Ask Luna how his mansion is going

pc said...

Hey Seymour, thanks for reading. I'm quite certain that I dont have the whole story, though I'm not sure what you are telling me that I didn't account for, nor does it change my point. I believe I understand Narro's argument, I just dont agree with it. Also, as I understand it, having a program with the PF would not imply excluding other programs, but rather giving students more options. Who loses?

Re the mansion--I dont know Luna so that will be hard, but if you have a link to a story about him building a mansion, I'd love to read it.