Among the pledges made by Mr Calderon in a televised address was a promise to create a department to monitor and tackle corruption among Mexican police.

The move came as six bodies were found in the border town of Tijuana - a day after 16 corpses were uncovered.

More than 3,000 people have died in drug-related violence this year.

President Calderon launched a nationwide battle to take back territory controlled by some of the world's most powerful drug gangs almost two years ago.

But the cartels have responded with unprecedented violence - including kidnappings and killings that have sparked public outrage and huge street protests.

The country has overtaken Colombia and Iraq for the number of kidnappings.

Lucrative smuggling route

In response, Mr Calderon has now announced a string of reforms which he says will allow the police to "serve the people and not criminals".

He said the package would reduce corruption among security forces and improve co-ordination among federal and local governments.

The measures include the creation of a national crime database and a crackdown on criminals who use police uniforms or badges - a relatively common practice in Mexico.

His TV address came as Tijuana police discovered another eight bodies - all of them showing signs of torture.

On Monday morning 16 bodies were discovered in two patches of wasteland in separate parts of the city.

Most of them showed signs of having been bound and tortured and both sets of bodies had notes attached, suggesting they were victims of gang violence related to the drugs trade.

Tijuana is a key area for smugglers aiming to get drugs into the United States.

BBC