Job Discussion Forums

[impala_street_scraper]

the federales are something to be feared in mexico a lot of people will tell you - and they're probably right, but i had a great experience with the tourist police in oaxaca (spelling?) back in 2001. like a fool i took travelers cheques in aussie $ not US so no one would cash them outside mexico DF! i found a bank in oaxaca that i thought was going to help me out (my spanish was even worse then) so i counter signed $1200 worth for our upcoming stay in the sticks. after that i was informed they could not cash them and they were rendered useless. so i went and asked the tourist police what i could do as i was broke pretty much. they took me to a bank where they knew the manager and got him to cash them for me! i was blown away (then i rememebered they were mexican cops lol.). so if you get in trouble dont hesitate to hit up your local tourist police. i gave them a very heartfelt "muchas gracias" believe me. they didnt seem to expect a tip either?!

[Guy Courchesne]

I've noticed a big improvement in policing in a few cities in Mexico, even DF, over the last few years. I didn't think the tourist police were federal though, unless you mean though guys in the grey jumpsuits and heavy weaponry.

Southern states are generally more open and friendly than central and northern states on these things I feel.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

I think Guy is correct when he says police behavior can vary depending on which part of the country you're in. Here in Merida it can also vary depending on which part of the city you're in. Also, keep in mind that not all locations have official tourist police per se.

Merida used to have a large force of tourist police. There are still some official tourist police around, but local law enforcement has recently undergone some reorganization. Now there are police in new uniforms (a newly added branch/department) in the downtown area who direct traffic, function as tourist police in the absence of previously larger numbers of regular tourist police, and attempt to maintain law and order. The new uniforms look like military school uniforms to me, and most of the young men and women wearing them look like they should be in high school rather than on the police force. I guess my age is showing.

Over the past several years, I've noticed improvement in behavior/attitude of the police in this city. There are fewer incidents of police brutality in public than there were in the past. There seems to be less hassling of innocent people, and police tend to try to deal with people in a less aggressive and less confrontational manner.

Now that fines for simple traffic violations can be paid at any bank instead of going through an incredibly long bureaucratic process, it's harder for police to hit people up for mordidas. It's easy enough to accept a ticket and pay the fine.

Many locals still hate the police. They fear them and don't trust them. In my opinion, those are not unfounded feelings. Based on some things I've personally seen here, I can understand their feelings. However, at least here in Merida there's been a real effort to improve the image of the police force, not a small undertaking. It's going to take time, however.

[MELEE]

[Pete Brown]

My only brush with the federals so far, thank god, has been a relatively light hearted affair.
Myself and a couple of Mexican friends went drinking in the lagos de montebello.
We had just started to set about playing guitar, singing and drinking for the evening when a number of federalies with huge guns wondered up. They anounced that drinking was illegal in the lakes and they were going to take our booze. Immediatley suspecting fowl play, later we found out it's true, we protested alot and in reply they said we could only keep the drink if I played them a song.
My rendition of the Spice girls really didn't seem to work overly well and they demanded something in spainish.
I improvised a song which I feel will never be match. It was entitled "Yo soy un professoe de inglees y no hablo espanol" and those were pretty much the words, repeat over and over again.

They seemed to ponder over the two options of shoting me or leaving, thankfully they choose the latter.
So it appears to me that in chapias at least the standard bribe has been revised to a song.

So long for now
Pete

[Julieanne]

Mexico has many problems with its police, especially in DF, which by the way Giuliani has not fixed as he so proudly states, but anyway one thing that is good are the fact that traffic and police are a separate division.
I wish Canada was the same

[MELEE]