Crime, Safety, and the Police

[Goyo61]

Yea. Not sure anyone would chime in but perhaps it's also because it does not happen very often. More the intimidation to get money out of you.

Thanks for the perspective. Good to know.

Goyo.

This will be interesting, assuming you get any responses.

In all the years of going to Tijuana I can recall only one person recounting his experience getting jailed. IIRC it was just for the evening. That's been some years ago.

The cops are not interested in jailing anybody, unless you are being a complete asshole / violent / whatever. They can't be constantly traipsing before a judge with some innocent gringo in tow. That does not look good for the cop. The (bad) cops want to intimidate you into caving in and giving them money. If you don't play along, if you resist giving in, don't act intimidated, etc. , then they will usually move on to easier game.

[Phordphan]

I hear of other peoples experiences with police but curious what the process between the time they stop you and you get out of jail.

1. has anyone been arrested.

2. how long did you have to wait?

3. Did they take your wallet, phone and check all your pockets like they would in the USA?

4. How did they release you?

5. What did you have to pay?

6. Did they allow you to keep your phone to make phone calls?

It's just better to know what actually happens so we can know what to expect and what we can do to minimize the bad experience.

Goyo.

This will be interesting, assuming you get any responses.

In all the years of going to Tijuana I can recall only one person recounting his experience getting jailed. IIRC it was just for the evening. That's been some years ago.

The cops are not interested in jailing anybody, unless you are being a complete asshole / violent / whatever. They can't be constantly traipsing before a judge with some innocent gringo in tow. That does not look good for the cop. The (bad) cops want to intimidate you into caving in and giving them money. If you don't play along, if you resist giving in, don't act intimidated, etc. , then they will usually move on to easier game.

[Goyo61]

I hear of other peoples experiences with police but curious what the process between the time they stop you and you get out of jail.

1. has anyone been arrested.

2. how long did you have to wait?

3. Did they take your wallet, phone and check all your pockets like they would in the USA?

4. How did they release you?

5. What did you have to pay?

6. Did they allow you to keep your phone to make phone calls?

It's just better to know what actually happens so we can know what to expect and what we can do to minimize the bad experience.

Goyo.

[Hargow20]

This seems like a hit job rather than random gang violence.

(https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...tijuana-ambush).

An unconfirmed report stated the guy shot in the chinese restaraunt was*an off duty cop.

And then there was this the*other day.

Officer was shot in*the head and did not survive his injuries.

TIJUANA**.

*.

Gunmen opened fire on a group of Baja California state police officers who'the stopped for a late-night meal at a food truck in Tijuana Wednesday, killing one officer and wounding five others.

The shooting in the Benton neighborhood also killed the food truck vendor, who sold hot dogs, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

And then today the GF sent me this. The translation might not be 100% but a banner was found hanging on Ave Revolucion threatening police.

Many drug traffickers leave a narcomanta in revolution threatening the central state state police, they are not going to stop or tempt their hearts to shoot, so it is better not to come to Tijuana because it is going to get ugly in in Centro*🚓128659;128659;128299;.

So it looks like Tijuana is on track to maintain there ranking as the most dangerous city in the world. And keep in mind if you find yourself in close proximety to a cop you are about as safe as standing next to a cuantos guy.

This is not an attempt to thin out the weekend crowds HK attracts. But just info to make you guys aware of what is going on in Tijuana.

[Baxter Slade]

An unconfirmed report stated the guy shot in the chinese restaraunt was*an off duty cop.

And then there was this the*other day.

Officer was shot in*the head and did not survive his injuries.

TIJUANA**.

*.

Gunmen opened fire on a group of Baja California state police officers who'the stopped for a late-night meal at a food truck in Tijuana Wednesday, killing one officer and wounding five others.

The shooting in the Benton neighborhood also killed the food truck vendor, who sold hot dogs, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

And then today the GF sent me this. The translation might not be 100% but a banner was found hanging on Ave Revolucion threatening police.

Many drug traffickers leave a narcomanta in revolution threatening the central state state police, they are not going to stop or tempt their hearts to shoot, so it is better not to come to Tijuana because it is going to get ugly in in Centro*🚓128659;128659;128299;.

So it looks like Tijuana is on track to maintain there ranking as the most dangerous city in the world. And keep in mind if you find yourself in close proximety to a cop you are about as safe as standing next to a cuantos guy.

This is not an attempt to thin out the weekend crowds HK attracts. But just info to make you guys aware of what is going on in Tijuana.

[Baxter Slade]

We had just finished *dining in Caho on Monday afternoon. We decided to walk back to Centro* as we approached this chinese restaruant we noticed employees running out the door and up the side street**At the time we never thought it was anything major. We pretty much believed it was a dine and dash, but we could not see that they were chasing anyone. Then a car left the parking lot at high speed but assumed it was an employee joining in the chase. Later we discovered it was a hit someone walked in and put 4 bullets in a customer. In hindsight**it was probably the employees running for there lives and the killer leaving in the car.

A minute later we spotted two**state police trucks driving by and tried to flag them down. The first one ignored us the 2nd one saw*where we were pointing and turned down the street. He got about 20 feet up the block and someone who was hiding between the cars ran in front of him and stopped* him. He might have thought the shooter was still there because he took cover. And within the next minute the cops were everywhere.

These type of hits seem to happen quite frequently in restaruants. Remember it is very common for narco and mafia types to never*sit with there back to the door.

[Travv]

The cuantos guys are working for a cartel. This angers the other cartels who are competing to sell drugs, so they send guys to shoot the competitor's cuantos guys. If you are around when the cuantos guys are being shot at, well, bullets can go anywhere. Best to avoid the cuantos dudes since they are bullet magnets. Good advice below "So get away from them". They attract bullets, as well as policia wanting bribes.

I want to add that we should also avoid the well know street drug-dealers. These are the guys or girls yelling "Quatar" in public, usually out of a small hallway. While they have paid their police tax to avoid arrest, you have not. If you are next to a drug dealer while he is advertising his drugs, it is Probable Cause for a police stop and search. So get away from them.

[Dogers69]

I think you mean "cuanto?" Which is how many. At any rate, I fear Tijuana police significantly less then both NYC and San Diego cops. Every 1 mile is a red light camera with a $200 fine for police pensions in NY. In San Diego I watch police raid lower income people every day lately. Almost every day in San Diego I watch police arrest all the undesirables for bogus reasons. Literally putting a bag on the ground, or back pack, is what gets these people arrested. I've seen 15 people arrested at once for being on the beach 15 minutes after sunrise without a car to explain how they showed up at the beach. Other guys got ticket for having blanket on their car, while they were 400 feet away. I'll take Tijuana police any day.

[Dcrist0527]

I want to add that we should also avoid the well know street drug-dealers. These are the guys or girls yelling "Quatar" in public, usually out of a small hallway. While they have paid their police tax to avoid arrest, you have not. If you are next to a drug dealer while he is advertising his drugs, it is Probable Cause for a police stop and search. So get away from them.

Not trying to be argumentative. But they yell "quantos". There are also some that are less conspicuous, asking you in a normal tone as you walk by. Keep walking. I've even had a few in the more touristy areas on Revolucion.

[Jackie888]

I want to add that we should also avoid the well know street drug-dealers. These are the guys or girls yelling "Quatar" in public, usually out of a small hallway. While they have paid their police tax to avoid arrest, you have not. If you are next to a drug dealer while he is advertising his drugs, it is Probable Cause for a police stop and search. So get away from them.

[Dcrist0527]

Wow sorry to hear. Wish they had a poll option on these boards. Would be curious to know what percentage of folks here have been stopped and searched by Tijuana police. Would also be curious if there's a certain demographic of Americans they prefer to target or if it's equal opportunity harassment. (I'm African-American and Tijuana police haven't so much as even looked my way yet. My one experience with them was very cordial with them warning me to put my cell phone away to decrease the chance of it getting stolen.).

I was pulled over while sitting in a taxi. I posted about it. This was fairly recent. While it was unnerving, everything was fine. It was not unlike the OPs experience. Some on this board tried to tell me I was targeted. Well, if so, they did it well because I had a lot of cash on me, on a dark deserted street at night. But after a quick search and a few questions, we were back on our way and not a penny was taken.

No doubt there are crooked cops and crooked taxi drivers. Based on my driver's actions, I don't think he was part of a setup.

[Dogers69]

Looks like that taxi driver worked with his policia friend to set up people for frisking and stealing. If you had lots of money. They would steal from you.

I have been set up to pee in front of isolated closed shops near the border crossing with no one around after midnight. I did not want to do it. Just then a policia pedaled in on his bicycle, ready to make the arrest for peeing in public. Lots of people at the border are thieves, robbers, rapists, murderers, drug dealers. They all know and work with each other to entrap visitors.

Taxi drivers are pretty much anonymous and mostly crooked. It's safer to use UBER or LYFT as you have the drivers' IDs in your phone and can take actions.

"Thieves, robbers, rapists". LOL ain't that the truth. My goodness the underground economy is booming in Tijuana. That border traffic must employee 10 thousand people with jobs just by looking at it, all the scams with Sentri lane, the medical pass scams at pedestrian line, the thousands of other svams I don't know about. San diego side of border is a desolate, no economic opportunity for criminals and go getters. Just 20 feet away is like 1982 in NYC with anything goes. There's not many countries with less law order than mexico left on this earth.

[Phordphan]

First time for everything I guess.

I have been visiting Tijuana for 30 years. Just had my first stop and frisk with the Policia.

Had dinner at Caesars, then stopped by HK and Chicago for a peek, only briefly. Around 8 PM (Sunday) I hopped into one of the white / orange taxis for a trip to Pedwest. The unusual part was instead of a you-turn at the end of the bridge the taxi made a left to go around the block near the dropoff point. (Probably no big deal but never did this before).

As soon as we headed up the street to the dropoff point, which was perhaps 50 yards away at this point, the red and white lights lit up behind us. The taxi driver started saying "ahh man!, what's up? The cop came up to the driver door where they spoke for a moment and then the driver said we need to get out. Had to put our hands on the trunk lid while the cop frisked me and took everything out of my pockets. It was notable he did not pay much attention to the driver but the driver interpreted for me. The cop asked where I live, where I work, why I needed 20 Figrals (Generic viagra). Asked how much I paid for the pills. I told them $2 ea and because I have a demanding wife. (Got a bit of a laugh).

I only bring a passport, cash, and cell phone. Only had about $10 so perhaps he was disappointed. Anyhow, nothing in it for them and I played the bewildered but friendly tourist as best I could.

Then the cop motioned to my stuff spread out on the car as if to say here you go, take it. That was it.

Curious if this is becoming a thing now.

It's been a thing, off and on, for many years. It happened to me probably 10 years ago. Keep calm, keep your cash in your hand, don't offer a bribe.

[Captain Solo]

Looks like that taxi driver worked with his policia friend to set up people for frisking and stealing. If you had lots of money. They would steal from you.

I have been set up to pee in front of isolated closed shops near the border crossing with no one around after midnight. I did not want to do it. Just then a policia pedaled in on his bicycle, ready to make the arrest for peeing in public. Lots of people at the border are thieves, robbers, rapists, murderers, drug dealers. They all know and work with each other to entrap visitors.

Taxi drivers are pretty much anonymous and mostly crooked. It's safer to use UBER or LYFT as you have the drivers' IDs in your phone and can take actions.

[BrotherMouzone]

First time for everything I guess.

I have been visiting Tijuana for 30 years. Just had my first stop and frisk with the Policia.

Wow sorry to hear. Wish they had a poll option on these boards. Would be curious to know what percentage of folks here have been stopped and searched by Tijuana police. Would also be curious if there's a certain demographic of Americans they prefer to target or if it's equal opportunity harassment. (I'm African-American and Tijuana police haven't so much as even looked my way yet. My one experience with them was very cordial with them warning me to put my cell phone away to decrease the chance of it getting stolen.).