The people's patrol
Residents of Mexico’s Petaquillas village have taken matters into their own hands by setting up a community police force to fight a wave of kidnappings and murders in their hometown.
Armed volunteers from across the state of Guerrero patrol the village, carrying out drugs searches and confronting suspected gangs.
Members of the community police patrol in a truck.
Members of the group travel in the back of a truck after a shootout with men that villagers suspected of belonging to a local gang.
A villager, who supports the presence of the community police, attempts to create a barricade against military vehicles entering Petaquillas.
A member of the group stands guard during a shootout.
A member of the community police is seen amongst villagers at the entry to Petaquillas.
A member of the group searches for a man, who ran away upon seeing the community police.
Members of the community police walk with a man that they captured.
A captured man is guarded in a truck.
A member of the community police searches a bus where they seized bags of marijuana.
A member of the Community Police opens a bag of marijuana, which they said weighed approximately 40kg, after it was seized in a bus.
Members of the group carry chickens for their lunch.
A Heckler-Koch HK G36C assault rifle, which was seized from a house during an operation, is held up by a member of the community police.
Members of the group lay out weapons and ammunition, which were found in a house, onto the ground.
