Police in Mexico town on strike amid drug violence

MONTERREY, Mexico, May 23 (Reuters) Hundreds of police in a Mexican city near the US border refused to work for a second day , demanding more pay and protection from increased attacks by drug hitmen.

Municipal police in Torreon, a city of about 500,000 people in Coahuila state, blocked patrol cars from going on duty and left the city largely unprotected in an attempt yesterday to win more money and better weapons.

''Police have been murdered, with limbs cut off and bodies burned. What we want is more forces with the right equipment, working bulletproof vests and a decent salary and pension,'' said patrolman Oscar Ramirez, speaking from Torreon's deserted police headquarters.

Battles between security forces and drug gangs have intensified since President Felipe Calderon deployed the army to hotspots around the country in December.

In recent weeks, gangs of well-armed hitmen have stepped up kidnappings, murders and large-scale assaults against police and troops.

State police in nearby Nuevo Leon also went on strike on Monday morning but quickly returned to work after bosses promised better hours and a possible wage increase. Earlier in the day, hitmen in the state capital of Monterrey fired on a police patrol and a transit officer was shot dead in a suburb.

Mexico's poorly paid and undertrained police are often accused of working for wealthy drug traffickers, who corrupt them with offers of ''silver or lead'' -- cash backed by threats of violence.

In April, soldiers in Nuevo Leon arrested 141 officers, saying they were in the pocket of the powerful Gulf cartel.

The army has confiscated hundreds of pistols and assault rifles from local police departments in other towns.

Speaking at a security conference in the neighboring state of Chihuahua, Calderon called for Mexicans to support embattled security forces throughout the country.

''Now citizens also need to protect the police, who are constantly hounded by pressure, threats, blackmail and corruption from criminals,'' he said.

REUTERS KK PM0440