NEZAHUALCOYOTL, Mexico, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- City officials in the Mexico City suburb of Nezahualcoyotl have been sponsoring a program that urges city cops to read one book per month.
"A police officer is not just a person who knows how to arrest criminals," said Nezahualcoyotl mayor Sanchez Jimenez. "He or she is also a person who knows how to express themselves, how to behave respectably, and how to treat the public with respect."
Jimenez said the program is "a tool for creating better men and women" on the force, El Universal reported Monday.
The city is planning to develop an additional element to the literacy project by having community members donate books at their local police stations, he added.
Police officers are encouraged to read often, but the program dictates that officers must limit their reading to their leisure hours and that reading on the job is strictly prohibited.
