In a new "crusade against corruption," officials in the Central State of Mexico are now hiring hundreds of female cops, NPR reports, claiming that women are more trustworthy than men and therefore less prone to bribing citizens.
Officials are trying to crack down on the long tradition of mordida, or bribery, when it comes to police offering traffic offenders a chance to pay their way out of a violation, by hiring an all-female force. Said force has yet to issue any tickets, but their uniform of neon orange and black uniforms with matching eye shadow and lipstick has been purposefully created to give off a sense of seriousness and authority.
"Mexico State's traffic police is only made up of women now," an announcer says in a local advertisement. "Remember, they are the only ones authorized to write you a ticket. Together we will stop corruption."
According to Ecatepec Police Chief Carlos Ortega Carpinteyro, people in Mexico respect women in uniform much more than men. "When a man is approached by a female cop, even though he is the stronger sex, he calms down and will listen to her," he told NPR. "Women are more trustworthy and take their oath of office more seriously. They don't ask for or take bribes."
Currently, Ortega has 60 women on his transit force, and he's hoping to find more that live up to his standards of appearance. "We get too many short and fat ones," he said. "We need tall women that render respect when out in the streets."
As of now, the female transit force can only issue verbal warnings and have not been authorized to give out traffic tickets, and according to a state official, the state won't give the new force the green light until all of the anti-corruption standards and safeguards have been put into place. The official added that it's difficult for cops to give up their old ways and commit to not taking bribes.
But as for the effectiveness of an all-female force in stopping corruption, local driver Diana Mendez said to NPR that just a few months ago, a female officer stopped her and warned that she would impound her car if she did not take a 200 peso bribe. Mendez said it "was not a pleasant thing to do" and feels guilty about contributing to the corruption in the state.
Click here to hear the audio segment of "All Things Considered" on NPR on the State of Mexico's latest attempt to tackle official corruption, and click here to see a photo of six new female officers in their neon orange and black uniforms.
