-by El Gitano Peñasco, "The Peñasco Gypsy"The regional newspaper ‘El Diario’ is reporting some good news and some news that, although it concerns me, I suppose is necessary considering we do have the drug cartels operating in and passing through Puerto Peñasco on a daily basis.
The good news is that according to their article the police stations are getting a badly needed make-over. Apparently some more sub-stations may be built around town to ensure greater community safety, plus officers will be getting that badly needed pay raise many of us have advocated for years!
The maybe-not-so-good news is that a lot of pesos have been invested to provide an additional 15 semiautomatic and automatic weapons to certain specially trained officers of the police department.
One model seems to be the Israeli Galil ACE assault rifle capable of firing 700 rounds per minute. The other war fighting weapon is the M4, originating from the earlier versions of the M-16 and the AR-15, that can also be converted (almost instantly) to a grenade launcher. That weapon can fire upwards of 950 rounds a minute!
That is a lot of fire power! If you never experienced 15 semiautomatic or automatic weapons all being aimed and fired simultaneously and at the same target I can assure you it is quite the experience and the receiving end is no place to be!
I’m sure the weapons now in the hands of the specially trained officers will be handled as our Mayor Alejandro Zepeda (and public safety director Lazaro Hernandez Bravo) requested when they made the formal presentation, which was to “follow all instructions”, use the weapons “responsibly” and only in a “life or death” situation.
But it does make me a little nervous and the next time you read someone who writes about Peñasco being that proverbial “…quaint little seaside fishing village…’ well, e-mail ‘em and let them know those days are long gone!
A Gypsy can always dream!
¡Viva Puerto Peñasco y México!
Gypsy
elgitanopenasco@gmail.com
