| | |  News from Around Banderas Bay 
Vallarta Public Security Meeting Report
 Sid Goodman - PVNN
April 03, 2010
| | Photos of the various law enforcement officers in Puerto Vallarta, along with photos of the type of vehicle they drive were presented. (photo by PromoVision) | |
Kelly Trainor, U.S. Consular Agent in Puerto Vallarta held a meeting on March 24th at the Marriott Casa Magna resort on the topic of "Who’s Who in Public Security."
A PowerPoint presentation, complete with photos of the various law enforcement officers in PV, Jalisco and Mexico delineated how each is uniformed and their responsibilities along with photos of the type of vehicle they drive.
Making presentations and answering questions were Lic. Jorge Antonio Garcia Rojas, the chief law enforcement official to whom the police, fire and Transito officials report and other members of the local and state agencies responsible for public safety and tourism.
Many issues were raised and while officials attempted to answer them, the answers often left the audience with an unfulfilled feeling. This is not because the questions were not answered, but because most ex-pats were looking for definite answers to issues which do not lend themselves to easy answers or solutions.
Police harassment was a key issue discussed and Kelly advised us that she is working with the Tourism department to develop a simplified reporting system wherein anyone wishing to report abuse by the police could do so at the Department of Tourism so as not to feel intimidated by the police. They are working to compile a book of photos of all police where a complainant could possibly identify the offending officer and get assistance in English to fill out a report.
It was noted that without a report the incident will not be noticed or prosecuted. It was also noted that most people are here on vacation when this occurs and are reluctant to file a report. Making note of the time, date, location and description of the officer along with the truck number, badge number or name if possible and then filing a report with either Kelly Trainor for U.S. citizens at consularagentpvr(at)prodigy.net.mx or Lynn Benoit for Canadian citizens at vallarta(at)canada.org.mx when they arrive back home will go a long way toward helping to solve this problem.
Lic. Jorge Antonio Garcia Rojas has taken this matter very seriously and is working hard on mitigating this problem, but it will not happen fast or easily. In my previous meetings with Lic. Jorge Antonio Garcia Rojas and Kelly Trainor it was suggested that tourists out for a night at the bars always take a taxi home and avoid rowdy behavior on the streets.
Also, only carry the amount of money needed for the evening and one credit or ATM card, and carry that card in a non-obvious place on your person. Do not carry a wallet, just your ID, one card and cash for the night. Police are not know to physically harm tourists during these incidents, so if you are stopped, take out your phone and call someone, anyone, or just pretend to call someone. This will often make them leave. Stay calm and be respectful. Remember names, truck numbers and faces if possible. Report the incident as soon as possible.
There was also the report of a new tactic. A person leaving a gay bar at night got into a taxi. The driver drove a short distance and was stopped by the police. The driver said "they want you, not me" and the passenger was robbed while the taxi took off. (The following is my editorial comment.) This is a new low, even for Vallarta police. So remember, always get the number of the taxi you are getting into. This is a good idea for many reasons, for example if you leave something behind in the taxi, etc., and now of course to identify the driver if he helps to rob you.
As always, the issue of Mordida to Transito police was discussed and, as usual, the advice from Lic. Jorge Antonio Garcia Rojas and Kelly was "do not pay bribes" but ask to for the ticket, which is usually not very expensive. In many, if not most, cases they will just tell you to be careful and move on.
Of course if you are intoxicated and driving then all bets are off. You car can be impounded and your license taken along with a ticket. Your best bet, obviously, is to not drive while intoxicated. But if you think you’re in the right, just ask for the ticket and go to Las Juntas and pay it within ten days and the fine is greatly reduced and you will have not enabled Transito bribery. Little by little the culture can change, but not unless enough people refuse to pay the Mordida.
Other issues, mostly relating to personal issues, were discussed briefly.
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