Mexico's Calderon pushes criminal law overhaul

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon, battling rampant organized crime, launched a wide-reaching justice reform plan on Friday to give police more power, protect witnesses and speed up court cases.

Calderon is struggling to rein in ruthless but sophisticated drug cartels who frequently manipulate Mexico's chaotic and corrupt police and court systems.

"Many of our laws have been overtaken by the complexity of crime," Calderon told reporters. "It's time to reform our system to adapt to new realities."

Calderon's bill would create one national penal code and clearer rules for dealing with organized crime.

Differences between criminal codes in Mexico's 31 states and Mexico City give wealthy criminals plenty of opportunity to turn the system to their advantage, he said.

As part of an anti-crime drive, Calderon has sent thousands of troops to combat drug cartels fighting for control of transit points like the Pacific resort of Acapulco and the U.S.-border city Tijuana.

He is also trying to impose order on Mexico's police forces, widely seen as inept and in the pocket of criminals, by merging several agencies and introducing a central crime database.

Under the bill, steps would be also taken to protect witnesses and victims who testify in trials.

A reward scheme launched last year for people giving information leading to the arrest of drug kingpins has so far paid out no cash, with most Mexicans not willing to speak to the police for fear of reprisals.

Calderon also wants to allow more of Mexico's police officers to investigate crimes. Only a few police departments have the power to investigate, according to current law.

"These reforms give the state new weapons and tools to guarantee public safety and win the battle against crime," he said.

Despite Calderon's three-month crackdown, hundreds of murders have been attributed to drug crime so far this year, similar to the same period of last year.

Introducing the bill with Calderon, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said talks would also be started to move Mexico's courts toward oral trials.

Almost all trials in Mexico are carried out on paper behind closed doors, a system critics say is slow and lacks transparency.

Calderon's predecessor as president, Vicente Fox, was unable to push a similar plan to overhaul the criminal law system through a hostile Congress.