Tijuana Police

Life could not be more peaceful since the in Tijuana since the city police walked off the job last Thursday. In a surprise move by new Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the Mexican government has dispatched 3300 Mexican Army troops to the border city to fight the war drugs and clear up the corruption in the Tijuana Police Department. The troops have set up road checkpoints in various points of the city. They are asking to see license and registrations. And randomly cars are searched. Although this has caused some major traffic jams, citizens of Tijuana do not seem to mind because the army officers are honest and are not stealing from them. The Tijuana police however did seem to mind when the troops invaded the police stations and ask the officers to show their registration card for their weapons. Mexican Police officers are allowed to carry firearms as long as the firearm is registered to them. When most of the officers could not produce prove the weapons they carried legally belonged to them the weapons were confiscated. In a country where the average citizen has a 7 grade education the Tijuana Police made an adult decision and simply walked off the job. The police are on strike, but no one seems to care and things have been peaceful.

The fact is the Tijuana Police are thieves. I can not put it different words. A recent poll in the Tijuana Mexican newspaper stated that 83% of the population do not trust the city police. They steal from the citizens, criminals, tourist and even themselves. They are hated by the citizens of Tijuana and feared by tourists. The reason why they walked off their jobs last week is because the guns they carried were not purchased legally. They were taken from people who were arrested. When the police find a gun in a car, house or concealed on a person, they simply steal it and when the person is booked in the jail the gun if left out of the police report. The arrested person will never complain to anyone about this because caring a gun in city limits is a crime in Mexico with a minimum 10 year prison term. The cop simply says give me the gun, and your money, and you go to jail for 36 hours or disagree with me and go to the pen for 10 years.

The police extort Americans and other tourist more than any other. Upon being pulled over you will be informed that you have committed a traffic violation such as running a red light or changing lanes with out signal. And you have to pay a fine. They tell you its something outrageous like 2000 dollars and then they will inform you that you cannot receive a ticket because you have an American drivers license and your live in the USA and there is no guarantee you will pay the fine. if you argue with them they will say lets go see the judge and the judge will throw you in jail

The police even steal from themselves. In an undercover investigation last year it was pr oven that station commander charge $150 to assign young officers to major traffic intersections. With many cars passing the officer could easily take bribe money and turn a profit during an ten hour shift. Everyone pays the bribes guilty or not because the judge will never side with you. The Mexican judges are involved in this scandal also. One man stated on Tijuana radio that he was accused of not stopping at a stop sign and although him and his two brothers (also riding in the car) testis field that he came to a full stop. The judge sided with the lone officer.

I hate to admit this I have had several personal experiences with the La Policia. As a former professional athlete I have had my fair share of party's and wild times. Below are a list of illegal acts and the bribes I have personally witnessed.

DUI- A 30-50 dollar bribe will get you out of this

Fighting Police- After they beat you up a 100 dollar bribe will save you a trip to jail

Drug Possession- small amounts of pot or cocaine will cost you 50-100 dollars.

Traffic Violations such as speeding, or running a stop sign -10- 20 dollars.

If they catch you with small amounts of drugs such as pot or cocaine it will cost you about $100, the larger the amount the larger the bribe.

Jorge Hank Roan, the Mayor of Tijuana says"Because officers only make about 800 U.S. monthly most all them are involved in corrupt activities including taking bribes and there is nothing we can do to change this situation." Ex President Fox tried to clean up Tijuana also and Nuevo Laredo however his efforts were just met with more violence from the drug lords and police force. In one example the Police were having shoot-out with drug lords when several police changed sides and began shooting other cops. I guess this is the reason in the past 100 year only 11 San Diego cops have been killed on the job as opposed to the 23 Tijuana Cops that have been killed in the last 4 months.