Crime, Safety, and the Police

Cj, you didn't answer the question about asking to go in front of a judge, if the judge is just as corrupt and in on the scam with the cops.



[QUOTE=Crash Helmet]Watch the almighty devil turn right around and run for his life: In dealing with a bad cop out on the street, whatever happened to the tried and true Sindicatura card trick? Back in the day, flashing a Sindicatura card on a cop used to have the same effect as showing Satan a cross. Does that once relied on stay out of jail/get out of a jam technique still work or has it lost all effectiveness? I am referring to a Sindicatura card that the savvy traveler would carry in his back pocket for protection against bad cops. Supposedly, the Sindicatura card trick was a potent weapon a traveler could rely on. Legend has it that it was a much faster means of adjusting a bad cops attitude, especially when compared with dialing 076.[/QUOTE]


Sindicatura card? Explain...

The once feared Sindicatura card is a simple business card from the Sindicatura, a police oversight agency, with the name of an inspector. Once upon a time, if a tourist got mis-treated, he could go there and make a report and then it would get the follow up. Now, the State of Baja has taken on the task of going after corrupt cops on behalf of foreigners who have been victimized. The Sindicatura is still an avenue, but the State has more teeth and they have a stronger punch. The Sindicatura is now used more by locals when they have problems with the cops.

If you do something wrong, if you [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url] in public, violate a traffic law, or do anything that is illegal then there is no judge in the land who will take pity on you. Do the deed, pay the price.

If you did nothing wrong (and I mean NOTHING), and the cop is just shaking you down, then he's got nothing to take you in on unless he trumps something up. In that case, the judge will see through the bullshit. Sometimes this "judge" is not really a judge at all. He is the a commandant of the station, who might be in on the attempt to fleece you. This happened to me a few years ago. I was being "taken to see the judge" for having nude pictures of my girlfriend on my computer. The guy turned out to be the commandant and he said that I could pay the $300.00 fine at the station or they would turn me over to the Federales.

I said "let's go." Take me downtown. They had nothing. So learn how to be cool with the cops. Let them that you know, and that you know that they know. When they know that you know that they know then they'll have a tougher time with you and they'll move on to an easier mark.

How the local politicians and officials can look themselves in the mirror every morning, or even sleep at night is beyond me. This shameful and disgraceful behavior is an injustice to the good people of Mexico who deserve better.

The stoppage in real estate development in Rosarito has less to do with crime than it does with the bottom falling out of the real estate market in the USA. Millions of people lost their investments, their equity and their credit lines after real estate crashed and the bubble burst.

Country John

[QUOTE=Country John]The once feared Sindicatura card is a simple business card from the Sindicatura, a police oversight agency, with the name of an inspector. Once upon a time, if a tourist got mis-treated, he could go there and make a report and then it would get the follow up. Now, the State of Baja has taken on the task of going after corrupt cops on behalf of foreigners who have been victimized. The Sindicatura is still an avenue, but the State has more teeth and they have a stronger punch. The Sindicatura is now used more by locals when they have problems with the cops.

If you do something wrong, if you [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url] in public, violate a traffic law, or do anything that is illegal then there is no judge in the land who will take pity on you. Do the deed, pay the price.

If you did nothing wrong (and I mean NOTHING), and the cop is just shaking you down, then he's got nothing to take you in on unless he trumps something up. In that case, the judge will see through the bullshit. Sometimes this "judge" is not really a judge at all. He is the a commandant of the station, who might be in on the attempt to fleece you. This happened to me a few years ago. I was being "taken to see the judge" for having nude pictures of my girlfriend on my computer. The guy turned out to be the commandant and he said that I could pay the $300.00 fine at the station or they would turn me over to the Federales.

I said "let's go." Take me downtown. They had nothing. So learn how to be cool with the cops. Let them that you know, and that you know that they know. When they know that you know that they know then they'll have a tougher time with you and they'll move on to an easier mark.

How the local politicians and officials can look themselves in the mirror every morning, or even sleep at night is beyond me. This shameful and disgraceful behavior is an injustice to the good people of Mexico who deserve better.

The stoppage in real estate development in Rosarito has less to do with crime than it does with the bottom falling out of the real estate market in the USA. Millions of people lost their investments, their equity and their credit lines after real estate crashed and the bubble burst.

Country John[/QUOTE]

Thanx, CJ! You are truly a fountain of wisdom!

Stories are coming in about the raid last week by the AFI in the Zona where the place was shut down, people searched, girls held and "robbed of their cash and cel phones," etc.

It is a fact, it did actually happen and there are other reports of the "police" robbing certain bars and maseros of their cash (amounting to tens of thousands of dollars).

One story is that they were looking for some bad guys who they thought were holed up at Cascades, so they went through the place room by room, tossing everything and taking whatever they wanted.

The newspapers are not reporting on it as of this writing. I'll come back when I have something reliable to report.

If you're not a bad guy, then don't worry about it.

Country John

That pisses me off. And worst that the news wont report it. You should really do something about it Cj.

That's pretty scary shit!
Man I can't imaging these cops kicking the door down while your getting busy.
They're getting more aggressive than before , it is a normal thing seeing the federales sometimes cruising the zona but never heard about going into bars and trashing everyone, the zona is full of American mongers, and that's not good for business, I guess with ol the drug war going around we are going to see more of this raids more often.
I thought the military presence was making the zona safer from police abuse
that's what I heard.

[QUOTE=Country John]
If you're not a bad guy, then don't worry about it.
Country John[/QUOTE]
That's the problem CJ,
they think the zona is loaded with low life American Mongers and local bad guys they know that we go there for cheap sex and easy drugs, so if your in the zona that alone makes you a bad guy even if your not, let's be honest we are not there for shopping and dinner with the family, Latin culture thinks different, so don't expect to get treated like a gentleman by the police if your in the zona at 2am.
Funny but even the BP give you the look like we are some kind of sick indvidual or something when returning home alone at night!

[QUOTE=HornyTraveler]That's the problem CJ,
they think the zona is loaded with low life American Mongers and local bad guys they know that we go there for cheap sex and easy drugs, so if your in the zona that alone makes you a bad guy even if your not, let's be honest we are not there for shopping and dinner with the family, Latin culture thinks different, so don't expect to get treated like a gentleman by the police if your in the zona at 2am.
Funny but even the BP give you the look like we are some kind of sick indvidual or something when returning home alone at night![/QUOTE]

Most Mexcians I know have girlfriends outside their relationships -a mistress if you will. They don't go to the Zona. Many business people see it as the "wrong side of the tracks," and an eye-sore.

The Zona Norte is a district within the City Of Tijuana, it happens to have a district wherein prostitution is "tolerated" under certain conditions. There are many people who would love to see the tolerance come to an end and the red-light district shut down altogether. The Zona Norte does not contribute that much to the economy of the city, contrary to popular belief.

The Zona Norte is a cash business and a lot of the cash get's tucked away out of the field of vision of the government, most of whom are on the "take" anyway. If the area evaporated tomorrow, many in TJ would be most grateful so there is no attention on it as a tourist attraction or a vehicle to aid in the economic recovery of Baja California. It has been a magnet for deportees and is the equivalent of "skid-row." Criminals flock there because they know there is money there, lots of it walking the streets at night, alone.

I can't over-state the importance of personal safety and security there. Club managers don't care about your security because if you don't show up, someone else will anyway, so why bother?

Very few people have pity on anyone caught up in the jaws of a police event in the Zona Norte. It would not come as a surprise to me to learn that a few of Mexico's most wanted are there, and if the cops have reason to believe this then the last thing they would worry about is hurting a gringos feelings or upsetting a prostitute.

Country John

[QUOTE=Country John]Most Mexcians I know have girlfriends outside their relationships -a mistress if you will. They don't go to the Zona. Many business people see it as the "wrong side of the tracks," and an eye-sore.

The Zona Norte is a district within the City Of Tijuana, it happens to have a district wherein prostitution is "tolerated" under certain conditions. There are many people who would love to see the tolerance come to an end and the red-light district shut down altogether. The Zona Norte does not contribute that much to the economy of the city, contrary to popular belief.

The Zona Norte is a cash business and a lot of the cash get's tucked away out of the field of vision of the government, most of whom are on the "take" anyway. If the area evaporated tomorrow, many in TJ would be most grateful so there is no attention on it as a tourist attraction or a vehicle to aid in the economic recovery of Baja California. It has been a magnet for deportees and is the equivalent of "skid-row." Criminals flock there because they know there is money there, lots of it walking the streets at night, alone.

I can't over-state the importance of personal safety and security there. Club managers don't care about your security because if you don't show up, someone else will anyway, so why bother?

Very few people have pity on anyone caught up in the jaws of a police event in the Zona Norte. It would not come as a surprise to me to learn that a few of Mexico's most wanted are there, and if the cops have reason to believe this then the last thing they would worry about is hurting a gringos feelings or upsetting a prostitute.

Country John[/QUOTE]
I couldn't say it better!
I also want to add that the zona is infected with deported gang members,
you can see more and more every time.
That's one reason I don't like to stay at night in the zona, too freaky for my taste, especially now with the drug war going on.
Great post CJ!

[QUOTE=HornyTraveler]I couldn't say it better!
I also want to add that the zona is infected with deported gang members,
you can see more and more every time.
That's one reason I don't like to stay at night in the zona, too freaky for my taste, especially now with the drug war going on.
Great post CJ![/QUOTE]

Well, living here gives you and enhanced perspective especially on the Zona. You are right about one thing, there are MANY deportees there and 90% would be ex-cons or would-be cons if they had not been deported.

If you get outside the Zona, and get into the fabric of this "salad bowl" of a city you discover very quickly that, although crime is a fact of life here (perhaps more so than State-side) there are increased changes of being a victim in the Zona Norte than in La Presa, some 13 miles South of the border.

Ask anyone in TJ where the walking cash is and they'll tell you the Zona Norte. More guys walk the streets of the Zona Norte cashed up than almost anywhere else so it's no surprise that the bad guys would congregate there and plan a caper or two.

The one major deterrent, however, is that none of these hardened bad guys want to spend time in La Mesa State Prison. If they are caught in a strong arm robbery or assault, especially on a tourist, or with a pocket full of credit cards, someone elses ID or wallet, they'll go there and wait several weeks for a hearing. La Mesa is NO place for the lightweight. Many of these gangsters have enemies there who are members of rival gangs etc. Remember that over 20 men died there a few weeks ago. La Mesa is a tough place.

Bad guys really have to (and most do) think twice before getting stupid. They spend the night in the tank if they have no ID when picked up by the cops on one of the regular Zona sweeps, and you can make no mistake about it, the cops treat the bad guys like animals really.

So the bad guys will try to run scams.

Stay away from street hawkers. Even being seen talking to one could tie you up for the night with the cops.

The Zona Norte is easily navigated on your own as long as you stay withint the boundries, don't stray off into the night or follow some ratero into a room to have sex with his "special" girl. Use common sense as best you can when there.

Country John

[QUOTE=Country John]Stories are coming in about the raid last week by the AFI in the Zona where the place was shut down, people searched, girls held and "robbed of their cash and cel phones," etc.

It is a fact, it did actually happen and there are other reports of the "police" robbing certain bars and maseros of their cash (amounting to tens of thousands of dollars).

One story is that they were looking for some bad guys who they thought were holed up at Cascades, so they went through the place room by room, tossing everything and taking whatever they wanted.

The newspapers are not reporting on it as of this writing. I'll come back when I have something reliable to report.

If you're not a bad guy, then don't worry about it.

Country John[/QUOTE]


Raids in Zona is nothing new. It was my unlucky night 5 years ago to be
there on a Saturday night when they came. Truck loads of them with automatic weapons. The streets were shut down, the music in clubs turned off and everyone in the club had to stay while the search was conducted. After the they searched me and found no drugs or weapons, I was allowed to leave the club. The girls, the club, and the owners of the clubs were also searched. Hey, this is the Zona, famous for drugs, sex, and gangs! Now, I only go to the Zona in the early morning and leave by 3:30 p.m.

This time the AFI were looking for undocumented girls. I wa not present for any of this but word is the agents lined the girls up and checked their ID's. There are (or were) many Mexican American gringas working the clubs a few years ago, and it wouldn't be the first thime the girls ratted out other girls from SA.

AFI? SA?

What are those?

[QUOTE=Efjayel]AFI? SA?

What are those?[/QUOTE]

AFI = Agencia Federal de Investigación. Sort of the Mexican FBI.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Investigations_Agency[/url]

SA = South America?

I think he was trying to say USA but forgot the U and only put the SA.

But if thats the case, what is wrong with USA girls working in the bars? As long as they have that health card, there should be no problem, right?