# Police corruption in Mexico

Corruption among police officers in Mexico is a major problem that affects both the law enforcement agencies and the country's political system.

## History of corruption

Corruption in Mexico has its roots in colonial times. With the arrival of conquistadors, the Spanish crown began assigning offices of power to certain wealthy and influential people. These offices were often short-lived because officials were charged with collecting revenue, maintaining order, and sustaining their regions while relying on only local sources of wealth and sustenance. People began to influence their local political leaders and would hold fiestas to gain favor with them. This system of bribery and purchasing one's way into power and influence continued into post-colonial times, where the Mexican society organized itself into a pyramid-like hierarchy with the rich and powerful at the top. After independence, corruption was used not only as a means of advancement, but also as a means to provide goods and services. Over time, the practice of using unofficial means became a way for bureaucrats to generate revenue for infrastructural and social projects as well as to supplement their incomes.

## Causes of corruption in Mexico
### Social advancement and economic survival

Some causes of corruption exist as a means to either boost one's standing in the local community or to supplement the extremely low incomes that most of the Mexican population receives. Corruption can also be caused by a desire to manipulate and influence other people.

## Corruption in the police

Corruption in the Mexican police can take many forms. It ranges from accepting bribes to overlooking criminal activity to active participation in criminal activity such as extortion, drug trafficking, and assassination. The Mexican police are notorious for corruption at all levels of law enforcement, from local to federal. Some Mexican police officers enter law enforcement not because of a genuine interest in policing but because of ulterior motives. Some join to escape criminal pasts in other states, others join to earn some money before moving on to other business ventures, and others join to increase their criminal networks, allowing them to boost the influence of drugs, spread crime, and increase connections for distribution.

## Effects of police corruption

There are several effects of widespread police corruption. Over 93% of crimes go unreported or are not investigated in Mexico. More than 2/3 of Mexican citizens believe that some or all Mexican Police officers are corrupt. Only 18% of Mexicans expressed a high level of trust in public security institutions in 2017, and only 7% in the case of municipal police. Additionally, only 13% are aware of any action taken to tackle corruption. Many people have reported bribing the police, even for minor incidents such as illegal parking and other traffic violations. Mexico's business officials have noted that police corruption has had a severely negative influence on business and economic progress. Police corruption is also, in part, to blame for the continued spread of illicit narcotics and the growth of the drug manufacturing and distribution industries.

## Efforts to stop corruption

Under the administration of former president Andres Manuel Lopez between 2019-2024, efforts were made to impose justice on abuse of power by government officials and other authorities. According to a recent study by Forbes Mexico, the federal government has taken steps to stop and diminish corruption, such as arresting corrupt individuals in power and investigating corruption cases. Despite these efforts, even when individual cases of corruption are reported, some of them are rarely prosecuted.