Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jan 2007
Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Copyright: 2007 Sun-Sentinel Company
Contact:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159
Author: Associated Press

PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR CONSIDERS PUTTING NATIONAL GUARD ON CRIME PATROLS

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The governor sent buses with guards to ferry 
children to school in violence-wracked neighborhoods Tuesday and was 
considering calling on National Guard troops to back police in 
response to a surge in drug-related violence in this U.S. Caribbean territory.

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila was expected to announce later in the day 
whether he will call up National Guard troops to help police patrol 
housing projects in the Rio Piedras suburb of the capital and 
elsewhere where drug traffickers are battling each other for control.

Police say the rivalries have contributed to violence elsewhere in 
the San Juan metropolitan area.

There have been 46 homicides in Puerto Rico during the first 15 days 
of 2007, almost double the number of killings during the same period 
last year, according to police.

Two schools in Rio Piedras remained closed a week longer than 
scheduled following the Christmas break because of ongoing gunbattles 
between drug traffickers. Although children live close enough to walk 
to school, parents requested the bus service.

Guards were posted inside the schools and on the buses.

"Parents had told me there was a lot of fear, and they didn't dare to 
send their children out to walk alone," Acevedo said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman