Police in Peru Begin Psychological Exams

Peruvian police Monday began taking psychological exams as part of a reorganization of the force ordered after a police patrol last week shot down a commercial airplane in the Amazon jungle, killing 15 people.

National Police Director General Adolfo Cuba y Escobedo had announced that the 80,000-strong force would have to undergo “detailed” psychological tests to avoid similar tragedies.

He said anyone who failed to pass the tests would be dismissed immediately. The tests were to be administered initially to police officers who have served in so-called emergency zones where security forces are fighting leftist guerrillas.

Psychologists reported recently that members of the security forces were suffering from myriad psychological disorders resulting from the stress of having served in the emergency zones.