Chihuahua, Mexico; a state embroiled in a long, violent drug war. In the north is Guadalupe Distrito Bravo, a city so bad that not a single person wanted the office of Police Chief. Who would want to when there is so much killing going on and not even the Mexican government can deal with correctly. Guadalupe’s former mayor was assassinated in June 2009, and local police have been kidnapped and murdered. In the week leading up to her taking office 8 people were killed.
Nobody would want the position where at any time a bullet can rip through the window or you can simply be kidnapped and disposed of in a variety of different ways. Nobody except young, 20-year-old student Marisol Valles Garcia. She and her 13 officers are going to work on improving their town and local communities and let the drug lord be dealt with by higher branches of government.
Talk about taking control of your future.
She plans on hiring more women officer to help teach local families about promoting civic values and detecting potential crimes before they happen. Her office will focus on preventative programs for schools and neighborhoods, rehabilitating public spaces and creating better relationships between neighbors to improve general security.
Youthful spirit and a strong bond with her local community have lead Marisol to this office but the only reason she is able to step into the office is because most public officials in the area have met gruesome and grizzly demises. They were made examples of, that’s what would happen if you tried to stand up to the cartels. But what happens when it is a young girl just trying to improve her community?
I really hope nothing bad happens to her and that the cartels let her improve local life and try to keep the violence at bay just a little bit. Her sense of duty and honor are an example to us all and a shining light in an area filled with darkness.
Good luck to you Marisol, I applaud you and what you are trying to do. You are an inspiration to everyone who needs
