Chavez Launches National Police in Violent Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Chavez Launches National Police in Violent Venezuela
December 20, 2009

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela on Sunday launched the first part of a national police force intended to end widespread police corruption in the South American nation, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.

Polls show the high crime rate is the population's main concern in the oil exporting nation, where about 14,000 people are murdered each year.

The new uniformed police force will operate initially in one poor neighborhood in the capital Caracas, but will be rolled out nationally in coming months. It is expected to have 5,000 officers by the end of 2010.

~snip~
Rights groups say police officers are responsible for thousands of "extra-judicial" killings each year. Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami says up to 20 percent of crimes are committed by the police.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=9386971

[YouTakeTheSkyway]

1. Should be interesting to see what effect this has.

[Goldstein1984]

2. If the national police do their jobs and don't let themselves

be purchased like the local police have been, it may help.

[lsewpershad]

3. Just waiting

I wonder when the trolls will be out claiming that this would Chavez' personal police. Just waiting....

[DissedByBush]

5. Why would he need them?

He already has the military and his party thugs to do his bidding.

Need to shut down a police station controlled by an opponent? Send in the military.

[hack89]

4. Their murder rate is fourth in the world

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita

I can understand the concern - 14,000 is a lot when you consider that about 17,000 people are murdered annually in America.

[Crzyrussell]

7. And the US is doing pretty good at #24

[RedCloud]

8. Why isn't Iraq #1 since they are being murdered like crazy?

[Crzyrussell]

9. These are crime statistics and not all

countries report or even care all that much depending on the social class of the person.

Also the deaths in Iraq have been greatly exaggerated over the years. Some of the number were so exaggerated that they would have had n.a.z.i style ovens to dispose of all the bodies. I sure didn't see any of that when I was there.

[Arctic Dave]

10. What would be your count then?

Considering the WMD were never found shouldn't they all be considered murders?

[Crzyrussell]

11. WMD's?

First they found yellow cake.

Secondly, Saddam was faking everybody out so they would be afraid of him.

Also, most of the killings are done by either fellow Iraqis or people from other Muslim nations. Not by the US.

[Arctic Dave]

12. They found yellow cake? LOL Please do tell more.

Iraqis did kill other Iraqis however even if we killed just have as many it's still murder.

As for Saddam "faking" what he had, there were many intelligence personell that said different and were 100% correct.

[Crzyrussell]

14. Google it.....

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/05/world/main4235028.shtml

[Arctic Dave]

15. Did you forget they built a nuclear reactor? What were they going to use for fuel?

How is this a WMD? Were they going to throw it someones eyes and blind them?

Having yellow cake and saying that is a WMD is like saying you have saltpeter so you have high explosives. Nice try, but no sale. If this fantasy let's you sleep at night more power to you.

[provis99]

13. I don't think they found yellowcake, but I think you will find a granite pizza very soon!

Enjoy your short stay here.

[Flaneur]

17. The US invasion was still illegal and unjustified.

All of the subsequent deaths in Iraq are on us.

[eridani]

16. If you blow up water treatment plans, and people die from dirty water

--they are just as dead as if you had bombed them.

[Blandocyte]

6. Hmmm... I smell sulphur