Mexico’s National Security Council sets out a new anti-kidnapping program, which will include mechanisms to share information between different branches of government, and set out compensation for victims.
Attorney General Marisela Morales stated that the main objective of the program “is to attack this crime with force by providing prosecutors and district attorneys in the country with better tools to face this disaster.”
The National Program for Prevention, Prosecution and Punishment of the Crime of Kidnapping consists of seven elements. These include the creation of specialized units at both the federal and state level to combat kidnapping, as well the creation of a database through which all three levels of government can exchange information related to the crime.
Meanwhile, President Felipe Calderon met with governors from all 31 states and made an agreement to combat high social impact crimes such as homicide, kidnappings, trafficking, extortion, violent robbery, and car theft.
These agreements come amid debate between the organization Alto al Secuestro (Stop Kidnapping), and Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, over whether or not the states are fulfilling their commitment to create anti-kidnapping units in every state.
Isabel claims that states have forgotten about these commitments, while Ebrard insists that many states already have anti-kidnapping units at work.