The existence
of maras of Latin American origin in places such as Spain
and Florida -- and Los Angeles, where they are numerous -- belies
the theory that these delinquents are the product of poverty or
lack of opportunity. Basically, it is a question of the irrational
collective behavior that affects young people every so often and
stimulates a curious bent toward imitation that pervades the group
and becomes a mark of identity and a factor of belonging.
Society can
deal with this challenge both in Spain and the United States.
It won't be easy to eradicate the maras, but they can
be controlled. Spain and the United States are rich nations with
solid institutions. Their police officers are fairly well educated
(almost all are high-school graduates, and many have some college
education), are experts in infiltration and investigation and
have effective means for electronic surveillance. Their prosecutors
know how to formulate the charges against suspects. Their judges
act with relative speed, and their prison systems generally function
within the standards set by international conventions.
But in Central
American countries where the maras murder, beat or rob
thousands of people every year -- in Guatemala, Honduras and El
Salvador -- a repressive strategy is being followed.
All three countries
have enacted strong-arm laws that are proper and useful to calm
desperate citizens. But those cannot solve the problem.
Confronted by poor,
hungry and illiterate policemen who lack technical knowledge and
resources, incompetent lawyers, judicial systems that are precarious
and inefficient and jails that are breeding grounds of crime,
the maras will continue to flourish. Or, worse yet, they will
force governments to engage in a horrible process of mass slaughter
where police and parapolicemen hired by civilians adopt the same
tactics as their enemies and all eventually destroy the rule of
law.
Law and order are
composed of many factors, linked to one another. Those factors
require resources that go beyond mere police forces. Adequate
legislation is only the starting point. There must be criminologists,
anthropologists, sociologists and other specialists in the behavior
of the human animal who are expert enough to create the framework
for a plan of action.
Whenever we talk about
the success of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in his war against crime
in New York City, we forget that his police tactics were preceded
by a remarkable sociological study. It is necessary to train policemen
well and pay them better. It is necessary to invest in laboratories
and sophisticated research equipment. The universities must produce
good lawyers who are prepared to enforce the laws.
The legal system must
have enough courtrooms, prosecutors and fair, competent judges
who are assisted by numerous aides. The jails must be secure and
humane, without renouncing severity.
In addition, there
are effective therapies to modify the antisocial behavior of youth-gang
members -- conceived and brilliantly explained by Dr. William
Glasser -- but their application requires the participation of
well-trained psychologists.
All of this requires
a lot of money, but the investment is well worth it. Of all the
obligations of the state, the most important is law enforcement.
It is on that field that the exercise of power is first legitimized.
Beyond the boundaries of the law lie barbarity, brute force and
the destruction of coexistence. Whatever the cost, it must be
paid.
