Corruption Crackdown?
Yesterday, I arrived at about 4:30 by taxi on the sidewalk opposite my hotel. Three local police vehicles were out and front with lights on. There were also about eight fully armed policemen standing near the front door. Considering the reports of Bandits with Badges and my own encounter, I didn’t want to cross the street. However, standing on the street, travel bag in hand, I felt like a target standing there.
The vehicles left, but others replaced them. My money and critical documents were in a difficult to reach place, so I crossed the street and into the gauntlet with some confidence that most of my capital was safe. There were a number of glances in my direction, but nothing more than.
This was the fourth time this year that I have stayed here, so the staff is getting to know me. (Also, I scatter tips around, so they make an effort to remember.)
The bellman is a friendly sort and speaks English well. Of course I inquired about the police convention outside.
He said that there is a SWAT team and a number of officers from Mexico City staying at the hotel and that it is completely safe. They were there to crack down on local police corruption. I was shocked. The Mexican government cares about the locals ripping off the Gringos? Grain of salt time.
However, after concluding a lovely six-hour session with ATF2, I walked her to her Uber about midnight. There was a buzz of activity and a number of marked police vehicles from outside the area parked and moving on the street.
While I have little faith, maybe…just maybe there is an honest effort to reduce the corruption and harassment. I am here for two more nights. This will be interesting.
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last commentwow!!!
I'm coming back down next week to Zona Norte. I hope they are cracking down on the bandits with badges...
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Interesting update. Do share more details as they become available @putatester
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I'd have more faith in Zorro than the Mexican government when in come to cleaning up the corruption in Mexico.
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Wow, that’s interesting. While I hope something good comes out from this, I tend to agree with @shadowcat: I don’t see anything changing with the tactics of the TJ police any time soon. Takes a long time to weed out corruption.
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we can hope.
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Not sure if it was just a coincidence, but this recent visit on a Tuesday evening time the Policia presence did seem somewhat lighter than their usual 🤔I even mentioned that to my girl while heading back in a cab.
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Thanks for the info PT.
My ATF frequently reminds of two things whenever corrupt polices comes up in conversation:
#1. The problem with police corruption is specifically with the Zona Norte, not all of Mexico. Most or many places in Mexico don't have this problem, even in other neighborhoods in TJ the police are generally on the level.
#2. It's not just gringos the police in the Zona harass, they rob chicas and other zona workers. ATF has her own story about being relieved of her cash by corrupt police in the Zona.
I think especially given #2, I'm in the camp of being optimistic. I can think of a few recent developments in the Zona have indicated the municipal government does care about the safety and welfare of workers in the Zona. Squelching corruption in the Zona entirely is probably not possible, but I do have faith they could cut down considerably on the problem, at least so it doesn't feel like an epidemic.
It is worth mentioning that according to the San Diego government www.sandiego.gov, you can and should report any instances of bribery or extortion in Tijuana to the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office. The address is Rio Suchiate #10036, Colonia Revolucion, Tijuana. The telephone number is 52-664-104-2800.
Having people report corruption is the only way it ends. In Cancún this used police corruption used to be huge, but nowadays, signs in customs warn visitors never to give police cash, and to a police dispatcher if they do try to extort you. As anyone who has been to Cancún recently can tell you, getting robbed by police there is very uncommon.
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Left TJ yesterday. Specifically, Hotel Rio Rita. Still a number of heavily armed officers with Federal Police marked on their uniforms present. There also is a heavy military presence in the area.
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^ @RonJax2
There’s corrupt police all over Mexico, it may have calmed down some, but I remember when Acapulco was a main tourist destination, we were instructed if we had a problem to look for the tourist police, who wore distinctive uniforms, if we had a problem to look, and not get involved with the regular police force. I’m not sure if they still have a separate uniform but I know in Playa del Carmen, and Cancun, there are special police officers that patrol the tourist areas.
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TwentyFive, funny story.
I was in Monterrey Mexico for three days with a girl that I met in Tropical Bar. One evening while going to a pharmacy, I saw a police truck slowly heading towards us. I moved to the far left of the sidewalk and kept an eagle eye on the truck. The truck stopped and I tensed up. My companion started to giggle. She said that this isn’t TJ; there is no reason to fear the police in Monterrey. She has been holding the incident against me since.
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@PutaTester, I had a similar thing happen recently in CDMX.
ATF and I were on the way to a concert, being driven by a taxista friend of hers. I needed cash, so I asked if we could stop at an ATM.
The driver pulls up to an ATM, and sitting on the curb right beside us is an occupied police vehicle. I quipped ¡No quiero conseguir dinero delante de la policía, podrían robarme! / I don't want to get cash in front of the police, they might rob me.
ATF and Taxista burst out laughing. ATF tells me, still giggling. No estamos en la Zona Norte mi amor. / We're not in the Zone Norte darling.
I got the cash, wasn't robbed, and ATF still gives me shit about it.
I'm not saying there aren't other parts of Mexico with corrupt police, but I am saying it is far from ubiquitous.
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this last Monday Tuesday and Wednesday I noticed slightly less TJ policia in Zona Norte...
also heard from a couple of rumors that there's a new police chief now that's not anti-tourist. I was still very guarded in my moves around the street.
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Less policia on the streets is not better. The thugs & dealers will rob you instead. They already started charging all street girls $250/mo.
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