Police in El Salvador told they can shoot gang members if they feel unsafe

In El Salvador, where seven police officers have been killed so far this year, members of law enforcement have been told they can shoot at gang members if they feel threatened.

"We support...any member of the police, our police, who in fulfillment of his duties and the defense of the safety of citizens, uses his gun and should use it without any fear of suffering consequences," Vice President Oscar Ortiz said in a statement on Wednesday. Previously, police officers who used deadly force were investigated and could be fired, Reuters reports.

In 2014, 39 police officers were killed by suspected gang members. The overall murder rate for the year was up by almost 60 percent, after a truce collapsed between the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 gangs.

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