Troops return to civilian jobs

San Juan, Puerto Rico (AP):

Hundreds of National Guard troops in Puerto Rico went back to their civilian jobs on Tuesday after spending more than a year helping police the island amid a soaring murder rate.

The Guard presence is no longer necessary because hundreds of recently graduated police cadets have now entered the 19,000-strong force, said the territory's police chief, Jose Figueroa Sancha.

Figueroa credited the Guard with helping reduce most crimes, including offences such as robbery, assault and rape, by 11 per cent last year.

However, 2010 was Puerto Rico's second-deadliest year ever with 955 killings in the territory of nearly 4 million people. Only 1994 saw more homicides, with 995 that year.