Crime Fighters Brought to Book

Police in a sprawling working-class suburb on the edge of the Mexican capital are to fight crime with a new weapon: books.

The leftwing mayor of Nezahualcoyotl, Luis Sanchez, has ordered all 1,100 members of the municipal police to read at least one book a month or forfeit their chance of promotion.

"We believe reading will improve their vocabulary and their writing skills, help them express themselves, order their ideas and communicate with the public," Mr Sanchez said. "Reading will make them better police officers and better people."

The list of recommended titles includes Mexican stalwarts such as The Labyrinth of Solitude by Octavio Paz, weighty classics such as Don Quixote, simpler gems such as The Little Prince and a number of crime novels.

Once the programme starts at the end of the month, there will be regular tests to verify that officers have read the books they name.

Mr Sanchez said classes would be provided for those with reading problems. Only 20% of the force has reached the equivalent of sixth-form education, while a similar proportion never got beyond primary schooling.

Mexico's police officers are often portrayed in the media as ineffective good-for-nothings who munch tacos on corners and demand bribes for minor offences.

Mr Sanchez said his officers would also be forced to get their cholesterol under control.

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Recommended authors

Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle,

Paco Ignacio Taibo II

Recommended books

Aura , Carlos Fuentes

The Labyrinth of Solitude , Octavio Paz

Pedro Páramo , Juan Rulfo

100 Years of Solitude , Gabriel García Márquez

Don Quixote , Miguel de Cervantes

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry