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Vinnie Jones: Toughest Cops

Episode 2: El Salvador

Following a bloody 12-year civil war, El Salvador has seen an explosion in gang violence since a ceasefire was agreed in 1992.
Incredibly, more people have been killed as a result of gun violence since the war ended than during the conflict itself.

Located on the Pacific Coast, El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. But with a population of seven million it’s also the most densely populated in all the Americas.
The cops:Among the country’s 16,000 police officers are the elite GOPES special operations group, the UMO riot squad and the gang-busting Interceptores.

The enemy: Gangs are the main problem here. The two biggest are at war: Mara Salvatrucha or MS and 18th Street. Living within metres of each other they are involved in drugs, armed robbery, extortion, kidnapping and murder. Because gang violence has reached such a high level it was made illegal for anyone to be a member of a gang or even associate with one. It’s easy for the cops to spot them as most are covered in gang tattoos.

The stats: With nearly 10 murders every day it’s a very dangerous place to live – police statistics suggest that a crime is committed every minute. Weapons are everywhere, with one in five people carrying a gun and hand grenades selling for just a dollar. El Salvador has a prison capacity of 7,500 but it’s estimated that there are nearly 19,000 criminals locked up, so the cops have to focus on gang leaders rather than low-level hoods just to keep the jails from bursting.On average 13 cars are hijacked or stolen every day and used for robberies and murders.Every month 1,000 gang members are deported back to El Salvador from the United States.

The risks: In El Salvador one cop is killed every month. In 2006 a student protest over bus fares which turned violent saw two officers killed and a further 16 seriously injured.

The weapons: The cops are toting Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns, with every GOPES officer carrying nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, while the gangs favour AK-47 assault rifles.