How corrupt are the police in Mexico? Do I need to bribe the police in Mexico?
Richard Kemper
I do not drive so I have never been given a traffic ticket. People who are pulled over by the local police usually bribe the officer. This is what I have heard but I have no proof of it. I do not even know anybody who’s actually driven and paid the bride. The police in Mexico accept bribes because they don’t get paid much as a police officer. I don’t have any special issue with the police. I wave at them and they wave at me. In the almost five years...
I do not drive so I have never been given a traffic ticket. People who are pulled over by the local police usually bribe the officer. This is what I have heard but I have no proof of it. I do not even know anybody who’s actually driven and paid the bride. The police in Mexico accept bribes because they don’t get paid much as a police officer. I don’t have any special issue with the police. I wave at them and they wave at me. In the almost five years I’ve been in Ajijic (an area very popular with expats, located next to Lake Chapala), I’ve never had anybody ask me for my temporary resident card or my permanent resident card. There’s no reason for them to stop me when I’m walking, and they don’t.
No one’s ever come up to me asking for my bag of groceries. They see me as either walking to grocery store or shopping somewhere and carrying stuff back. The police has never stopped me. I have never had problems.
(Shopping area in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted October 18, 2015
Gary Coles - Paradise For Gringos
The police in Mexico are like the police in most other countries. The majority are good and try to do their best. They are generally professional and honest. However, the salaries are low and some of them are corrupt and some of them are looking for mordida (bribes). In the past, it was common for many bribes but things have changed a lot.
I usually have a great relationship with any police officers that I meet. I do not hesitate to ask for directions or...
The police in Mexico are like the police in most other countries. The majority are good and try to do their best. They are generally professional and honest. However, the salaries are low and some of them are corrupt and some of them are looking for mordida (bribes). In the past, it was common for many bribes but things have changed a lot.
I usually have a great relationship with any police officers that I meet. I do not hesitate to ask for directions or advice. If I am stopped, I am always friendly and try to be helpful --- but I do not pay mordida. I always keep smiling and wait until they give up.
For example, one day I was stopped and the officer could find nothing wrong with any of the paperwork or my vehicle until he decided that our 11-year-old should be sitting in the back seat (he was in the front passenger seat with seatbelt). After a long conversation, he finally said that he would give me a ticket or I could pay it right there. The best advice I have seen is to ask for the ticket, so I asked him to just give me the ticket. He was surprised and kept talking and referring to paying it on the spot. When he finally realized that I would not offer to pay him anything, he told me that he would call a tow truck because he was going to impound the Jeep until the ticket was paid. I told him to call for the tow truck. Anyway, after about 15 minutes, he gave up and left -- no ticket and no tow truck.
My advice is that if you are stopped, do not pay mordida. Ask for the ticket and offer to go with him to the police station to get the ticket handled right then. Most will let you go because they do not want to spend the time.
If you do pay for a ticket, it will probably be less than the bribe. I was in a taxi one day and he was stopped for an actual violation. The mordida was double the amount of the ticket. The driver paid because he wanted to be on his way quickly.
I also feel it is harmful to the country if you pay and accept the practice of mordida. I love Mexico and want to see it improve. If we pay bribes we are contributing to corruption.
Posted January 22, 2016
Alberto Alvelais - Alvelais & Asociados
The level of corruption in Mexico is a common question. I’m not going to say that all policemen in Mexico are really dirty but the general rule unfortunately in this country is that, if you are stopped for a traffic violation, you can give them a “tip” to settle the ticket. This is public knowledge, so everybody knows about it.
This is beginning to change in Mexico. The Mexicans from my generation...
The level of corruption in Mexico is a common question. I’m not going to say that all policemen in Mexico are really dirty but the general rule unfortunately in this country is that, if you are stopped for a traffic violation, you can give them a “tip” to settle the ticket. This is public knowledge, so everybody knows about it.
This is beginning to change in Mexico. The Mexicans from my generation are trying to stop this corruption. We’re really against it.
It is one thing to a person money to change the direction of a certain process or a certain procedure. Giving a “paralegal fee” means giving a tip to a government official to skip a process or accelerate a process. While “corruption” means deleting a fine, a paralegal fee could mean giving a tip to avoid having a fine. So in this connection and making this clarification we have in Mexico corruption and we have the payment of the tips, which is in theory a little different.
The police in Mexico will not stop you if you have not broken the law in order to get money out of you. There are a lot of police who do this in other countries, but it’s very, very strange that this happens in Mexico. Usually the general rule is that when you commit certain violation, when you’re driving or when you’re doing something else, and you’re caught, then you have the opportunity to get out of the situation by means of paying the tip, but this is a usual practice. However, it is very rare that a police officer will make something up like saying that you were speeding, when you were not.
When you’re operating a business, you’re going to have to have the proper licenses. If one of the licenses is missing, then of course, the inspectors will go to your business and try to shut your business down, or they will ask for a tip, but they would never create anything where they cheat on something just to create a problem. No; they are very, very eager to find a business that is lacking a permit or lacking a license or lacking something and when they find that, they will visit you. But no, they will never create something just to put some pressure on you.
(Sign for policeman, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted May 26, 2016
Joan Silver
Bribing in Chapala and Ajijic used to be modus operandi here. The police in Chapala and Ajijic have been working very hard to change that behavior. If a cop pulls you over for a particular reason, whether it's legitimate or not, sometimes the first thing a person wants to do is to offer them a bribe and they accept. Although sometimes the policeman says, "No, I will write you out a ticket." If it's Christmas time, the cop may hit you up if they need a little bit more...Bribing in Chapala and Ajijic used to be modus operandi here. The police in Chapala and Ajijic have been working very hard to change that behavior. If a cop pulls you over for a particular reason, whether it's legitimate or not, sometimes the first thing a person wants to do is to offer them a bribe and they accept. Although sometimes the policeman says, "No, I will write you out a ticket." If it's Christmas time, the cop may hit you up if they need a little bit more money. If my husband George fell on the floor and bled to death, I wouldn't call a cop in Chapala and Ajijic. They're probably going to throw me out of the house and seal it. I would call our doctor. The doctor would come and pronounce him dead and fill out the paperwork and look after having the body removed. I learned that it’s best not to let a cop into your home. After I called the police for a robbery in my house in Chapala and Ajijic, one cop was interviewing me in the living room and the other cop was going through the drawers in my bedroom and got my engagement rings.
We haven’t had any personal experience with extortion by cops in Chapala and Ajijic. As a matter of fact we have a favorite cop who we call the kissing cop. When you stop at the traffic light, expect a kiss on the cheek. He invites us several times a year for parties. The Christmas party is the big one and we go. The food and the music are great with the tequilas and we have a wonderful time.
My husband’s story is shortly before we left Ottawa, he made left turn into a little cul de sac that was a one-way street. A cop was there and he says he has to give my husband a ticket. My husband didn’t see the little sign and he was fined $100 plus 2 demerit points. Shortly after we came here, my husband made a left turn in one of the streets, which was not illegal, and he was pulled over. The cop said he made an illegal turn and needs to be given a ticket. My husband gave 200 pesos (about US $10) to the cop who then went on his way. However, sometimes they say they need to give you a ticket and that’s what they do.
There are also very kind policemen. One time when my husband was coming from Chapala on a winding stretch of road, he was following somebody who was driving really slowly. Just about to the end of the winding road, he pulled out around and passed the driver before him. Not long thereafter, there were police on motorcycles behind him. My husband realized his mistake as he got pulled over. My husband apologized to the cop and he was told not to do it again and the cop let him go.
(Pictured: Federal Police Building in Mexico City, Mexico.)
Posted January 27, 2017
Karen Herrtwich - S&S Auto
Corruption starts with us, so when I get pulled over, I don't pay them any bribe; I take the ticket. Part of the reason the police in Mexico become corrupt is because they're very underpaid. If we do not pay the ticket, we're not going to put the money in the system. So, corruption starts with us. That's really all I can say because yes, the police here in Mexico can be corrupt. I just take the ticket, and I'm not going to pay my way out of anything because then I'm just as...Corruption starts with us, so when I get pulled over, I don't pay them any bribe; I take the ticket. Part of the reason the police in Mexico become corrupt is because they're very underpaid. If we do not pay the ticket, we're not going to put the money in the system. So, corruption starts with us. That's really all I can say because yes, the police here in Mexico can be corrupt. I just take the ticket, and I'm not going to pay my way out of anything because then I'm just as bad as them, or worse. I’ve never had a bad experience with the police in Mexico. There are scams out there like there are everywhere. We got a phone call one time that I mistakenly took it very seriously. They were trying to get me to deposit money in their bank because they said I needed protection, but when I went to the fraud department in Guadalajara they said these guys are usually calling from a prison, and they don't even know who you are.
(Road around Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted April 8, 2017
Denis Larsen - Casa Hamaca Guesthouse
In my experience (and second-hand observations from guests) the police in Quintana Roo are more "on the take" than those in the state of Yucatan. Yucatan police are more professional. After reading the comments above, I agree; accept the ticket (especially if you were in the wrong), go to the station and settle up. Best to drive very defensively and with lots of attention to both side view mirrors. If you are stopped, be polite. I was stopped by the army at...
In my experience (and second-hand observations from guests) the police in Quintana Roo are more "on the take" than those in the state of Yucatan. Yucatan police are more professional. After reading the comments above, I agree; accept the ticket (especially if you were in the wrong), go to the station and settle up. Best to drive very defensively and with lots of attention to both side view mirrors. If you are stopped, be polite. I was stopped by the army at the border of Quintana Roo and Yucatan on the cuota. A young officer came up to the car (down the road I could see a small cannon on a half-track pointed at my car) and I asked what I had done wrong...
"Don't worry. I just want to practice my English" After a short and friendly discourse, I continued my trip.
(Town of Solferino in Quintana Roo, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted April 9, 2017
SONIA DIAZ - Sonia Diaz
Yes, there are some police in Mexico who are corrupt, but not all are, though. Corruption can happen when they see an opportunity. For example, when you have a Mexican car and they ask for proof your emissions test are current, the annual fee called refrendo is paid or a Mexican driver’s license. So, I advise my clients to always follow the rules to minimize opportunities for them to ask for a bribe. Paying a bribe / mordida is a felony. An example...
Yes, there are some police in Mexico who are corrupt, but not all are, though. Corruption can happen when they see an opportunity. For example, when you have a Mexican car and they ask for proof your emissions test are current, the annual fee called refrendo is paid or a Mexican driver’s license. So, I advise my clients to always follow the rules to minimize opportunities for them to ask for a bribe. Paying a bribe / mordida is a felony. An example is if you are driving a foreign-plated cars from an American state or Canadian province, you may be stopped by the police and asked for your tourist FMM card or temporary resident visa. Or they may ask to see your driver’s license. The Mexican police will say that you should have a Mexican driver’s license, which is not true for foreign-plated cars. Your U.S. or Canadian driver’s license can be used when driving a foreign licensed car in Mexico, but you should also have your visa with you. Only, Federale police and Aduana may legally ask to see your car permit.
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If stopped and you have done nothing wrong ask for a ticket. Do not hesitate to take their photo with your phone or a camera. Do not let them intimidate you. You may also call your lawyer or consulate / embassy. This happens less often in San Miguel but it is quite common as you enter Celaya.
With a valid ticket for a driving violation most of the time, you have to pay the fine at the traffic police office within 10 business days.
(Pictured: Old photo of San Miguel de Allende, with parroquia in background.)
Posted March 5, 2018