2 auxiliary cops detained in Tijuana tourist robbery
Here is an interesting article about two auxilliary cops shaking down a toursit in the Zona. This is a positive step for TJ, and an informative article. If you are stopped by the "white shirts," tell them you want to see a "black shirt."
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UNION-TRIBUNE
6:53 a.m. December 13, 2007
TIJUANA: Two auxiliary police officers were detained Tuesday after they were accused of robbing a tourist of $100.
The officers are part of the unarmed commercial police, an auxiliary of the Tijuana police force. Commercial police provide security to local businesses and residential areas.
The city has about 300 such officers, who typically wear uniforms of white shirts and beige pants. Members of the branch don't undergo the same training as regular officers, and their salary comes primarily from donations paid by the neighborhoods they patrol.
The two commercial officers were detained by regular Tijuana police officers after the victim identified his assailants, according to a news release from the city police department.
The detained officers were identified as Saúl Solís López and Iván Hernández Vargas. –A.C.
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Country John
Some straight talk about the violence in TJ
[QUOTE=One Wing Low]What are the motivation for murdering these cops?
Damn TJ is becoming more violent than any city I know.
If they can murder these cops, they would stop at nothing. Gringos could be swat like flies...
I dont wanna hang out where people, including wives and kids, get murdered left and right.[/QUOTE]
I do not work for TJ Department of Tourism, but let me try to put this into perspective.
There is no question about it, the violence is real, people are being murdered. It's happening, it's ugly and dangerous. But not for the monger who visits the zona to experience the hobby.
Most of the deaths are police and "narcos traficantes," or drug traffic guys. There has been an upsurge in this violence recently, and within the past week it seems like a bloodbath. IN many ways it is a bloodbath.
President Calderon sends thousands of Federales to TJ (including Military) to take over the cops jobs and to screen out the bad cops. Some of the cops have turned on their criminal clients either by ratting them out or not co-operating with the program of protection etc simply because they are not ABLE to provide the protection they could provide before. The reason? The federales and military are watching, and these bad cops do NOT want to do time in La Mesa State Prison.
The bad guys are getting desparate. They are losing money, having dope siezed, they are being thrown in jail - normal law enforcement stuff. They just don't have the protections they once had. Ever since the cartel was busted apart, smaller and less sophisticated groups are competing for the turf in TJ and it is one ugly mutherfucking battle.
Having lost millions on lost drugs and lost sales, they tried knocking over an armored car the other day (Monday) in TJ. The cops killed one and the other is currently in the hospital, alive. The general hospital in TJ right now is surrounded by the military. Stay away from the General Hospital. Stay away from the morgue, that's where the dead body of the other bad guy is.
The bad guys are not looking fo the monger who wants to visit Adelitas o get laid. But the street goon will notice your Rolex and your Mont Blanc. They will also notice you rolling up in the Jag, the MB or the BMW. Leave your bling state side. The street goons have less work now that the narcos have less dope to move and fewer directions to take.
So they are murdering the cops who either provided the protection and now refuse to do so, or who have ratted the bad guys out to stay out of prison themselves. Other cops who are being murdered are influential guys who were conducting investigations and getting too close for comfort.
They are now not stopping with just the cop, they are doing his family as well, something the cartels would not do out of "honor." It is not a good time to be a dirty cop in TJ. New recruits are learning that dealing with these narcos is like putting the end of your own service revolver in your mouth. Sooner or later, you're going to take one in the hat.
Is it safe for you to go to the Zona? It is as safe for you to visit the Zona as it is to visit your local 7-11. If you get whacked, it would be an accident. There are bullets flying in TJ as I write this post. A running gun battle in La Mesa. Federales and military have some bad guys cornered. One Minicipal cop is injured by gunfire. Getting whacked by a stray bullet is your concern unless you get between the cops and a narco.
This running gunfight is between the cops and the narcos. It is NOT between the narcos and the tourists who are the consumers of their products. The fact of the matter is that the bad guys (on both sides of the badge) are being flushed out. When that happens, there is bound to be some shit hitting the fan and the bad guys need to finance their operations by other means if they can't sell dope; that means selling your SUV if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There are Mexican cops and military cops in TJ looking down the wrong end of some AK47's today, and bad guys have their fingers on the triggers. With all the bad press for all the bad things TJPD has done, know that some good guys are out there doing some good work today. Remember them too.
I live in Los Pinos, about 12 miles South of the border close to La Presa. Ordinary people are going about their business and staying out of the line of fire. That's all that you can do when you live here and that's what you need to do when visiting the Zona. So keep your eyes open. The narcos are not chasing you unless you are in bed with them - very unsmart. Be calm, collected and alert. The violence will probably take a while to subside, but you should be hearing about it mostly from news reports and your chances of getting in the middle of it depend on what role you play when you're there.
Country John