Protesting San Miguel police call for dismissal of senior officers

July 29, 2019

The funeral for the two police officers killed last week in San Miguel.

Municipal police in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, are demanding that Mayor Luis Alberto Villarreal fire the department’s leadership.

On Sunday, officers protested outside police headquarters to demand the dismissal of their bosses as well as the implementation of a new security strategy that guarantees their safety.

The protests started after two officers were killed in a shooting last week. Dissident police say the deaths were the result of a policing strategy that sends only one or two officers out to respond to calls, exposing them to greater risk.

“We need security guarantees for ourselves to be able to guarantee security to citizens,” one officer told the newspaper El Universal.

The rally was attended by transit police and 911 emergency number workers, as well as citizens who showed their support to the officers and provided food.

At least five officers have resigned because of the shooting, and many others are reported to be considering leaving the force.

Protesters said the mayor has been avoiding addressing their concerns, and that their superiors in the department have refused to meet with them. They said late last night that they had not received a response.