Mexplanations

Being a police officer in Mexico doesn’t quite live up to the glamour that TV shows portray. From the local underpaid officers to those who fight drug cartels and face extreme violence, being a police officer in Mexico is not all coffee and donuts.

In Mexico, we have a variety of police officers, each with different responsibilities.

Transito: These are probably the ones you will encounter at some point if you stay here for any length of time. They wear the brown uniforms and are basically underpaid traffic cops. I have read that they make somewhere around $6,500 pesos per month. They have been compared to a waiter/waitress who are paid low, but are compensated with tips. Great, a waiter with a gun! You can tell when they are between paychecks, as the moving violations increase dramatically. Do you pay the “tip” or not? There is no right answer.

Federales: Normally seen in the back of pickup trucks wearing navy blue uniforms, carrying big automatic weapons. These deal with corruption and organized crime. The Federal Preventive Police (PFP) take care of the serious crimes and patrol airports. There is also the Federal Investigations Agency (AFI) which is similar to the FBI. The AFI are the ones that do raids on the drug cartels. Think Jack Bauer meets S.W.A.T and you get the point. These guys are under heavy attack from the drug cartels and many of them have been killed recently, including Edgar Eusebio Millan Gomez, who was the Federal Police Chief. This is why you are seeing an increase in road blocks and vehicle searches.

Preventiva: This is more the police we know who patrol and uphold public safety and maintain order. They either wear a green and brown uniform or gray uniform depending on their duties.

Lord Acton, the British historian said: “All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” While none can deny that corruption in Mexico is rampant, we cannot use this as an excuse to disregard the law. For example, drinking and driving in Mexico is basically go to jail, don’t collect $200 and forget about rolling doubles! Yes…with the right officer, and the right amount of “tip” you might stagger on your way, but you are taking a considerable risk on your personal safety and more importantly of those around you.

The bravery of many in the police force to keep our neighborhoods safe should not be tarnished by the bad deeds of others. Regardless of these problems, I still do feel that Riviera Nayarit is a safe place for tourists and those choosing to live here. I also urge the local police to continue to make our cities safe for tourists, as we bring in much revenue for the local economy.

Keep up the good work. “Book’em, Pedro!”