Robert was reminded of this NYT article after noticing the police cameras in Oaxaca. He has to say, he feels very very safe in downtown Oaxaca. Not quite sure about the civil rights aspect of all this, though.
OAXACA, Mexico — When the police officer spotted the man acting suspiciously, pacing erratically with an odd look on his face, he immediately called for backup. That is, he spun around in his chair at the police command center here and rapidly motioned to a colleague in sign language.
The officer, Gerardo, 32, is part of a cadre of 20 deaf officers formed several months ago to help keep an eye on this tourist hub. The suspicious man that he spotted on a security camera turned out to be a prime suspect in a murder.
“Even though we can’t hear, we can undertake any role,” Gerardo said, speaking through an interpreter. More than 200 cameras watch over this city, one of several in Mexico that have installed such security systems in recent years to fight street crime.