Well I haven't lived in too many places...but HERE is the only place I've lived where laws are ignored not enforced, and HERE is the only place I've lived where police rarely catch a murderer.
On those two points will have to agree to disagree, RG. 1.- That laws are ignored and not enforced "here" but they are "there." and 2.- "The police rarely catch a murderer "here" but not "there." I think that on both points we would be able to find opinions and even statistics to make our points. There are lots of "cold cases" everywhere in the world and everywhere in the world people get away with murder and innocent people get accused and sentenced for it. But statistics really have nothing to do with it when one has his or her mind made up already anyway.
Not to belittle anything, but if this is true. I find that astounding. You would think that as many enemies as "journalists" can have, and the turmoil that has besieged Mexico as of late, that there would be far, far, higher "job related" deaths among the press.
Jim - I'd love to see some statistics showing how often police in Cancun catch murderers. And I'd love to see data on the investigative methods they use and the man-hours they put in to investigations. Do they have a crime lab here? If so, do they have anyone competent and uncorrupted working in it? I would love for someone to prove to me that the police here aren't as lackadaisical, incompetent and corrupted as I have come to believe they are. I'd also love to see something that would counter all of the info I have heard which says that the federal cops here in QR are deeply involved with the mafias that are doing drug and human smuggling through here. The police here make too little and have too much power NOT to be ripe targets for corruption and for the mafias. It's foolish to believe that they are working on the side of justice, it's foolish to think you can trust them or rely on them. In far too many cases the other side is putting food on their tables. If a murder here has anything to do with organized crime then there's very little incentive for cops to solve it. And it seems likely, from what I see, that there IS incentive NOT to solve it. I think your HERE and THERE argument is a bunch of smoke, my friend. For the record, the grass is greener HERE in winter because we are in the tropics. Haha.
RG: You sound as convinced as if you had the stats already! LOL I bet there are people in the States who say the same thing about the police and the system "there"--and without stats too. In fact I am sure there are. And I don't think statistics would change anyone's mind anyway. "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics." Mark Twain
Yes, but unfortunately, only 3% percent of people realize that 97% percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. :wink3:
I used to work with mapping and reporting of US Census data. And I'm very aware of how statistics can be misused. But if you understand the methodology used to gather the data then you can tell at least as many truths as you can lies with that data. I'm reasonably sure that my impressions of Cancun's police are correct. I would absolutely welcome real data that counters my impressions. I do not have my mind made up (I thought you knew me better than to think that). Show me the data.
I was pulled over in Red Wing, MN 2 weeks ago for a quick start and went across 3 lanes of traffic to beat a long line of cars on main st. Well there was a cop that I didnt see and I was pulled over.:bash: Well he took my license and insurance papers went to his car came back a few minutes later and let me go, no ticket no warning and certainly no mordida(?).
Prove that cops aren't corrupt? Prove that people don't get away with murder? (here or there) Prove any negative, eh? Sounds like a lose/lose situation to me. No, thanks. And I am not trying to stick up for the Cancun Police--or any police for that matter. (The topic was Tulum after all.) I have been around a looong time here and do not pretend that the "Law and Order" here works well but I also know that it really doesn't work well anywhere. The system is, after all, staffed by human beings. JMHO. (And I thought I knew you better than that too.)
Your supposition that law enforcement "really doesn't work well anywhere" makes no sense to me and I don't accept it. I also don't think that's a very healthy way to think..."it sucks everywhere and here is no different so just accept it?" It seems to me that the reason reporters in Mexico keep getting killed is precisely because they ARE asking for that change, they are pointing out Mexico's problems. The only other country I've lived in is the US, with it's well-trained and properly funded police forces. And all of my limited experience with law enforcement in the US tells me that law enforcement works quite well there, at least in the many places where I lived. Crime statistics are printed in local papers, crime maps even. When cops are found to be crooked they are prosecuted. I was never asked for a bribe there. If I called the police there they would show up within moments and I wasn't warned by everyone not to let them into my home. And when my family's lives were threatened by a murderer the police there protected my family 24-7 until the guy was caught. (The guy killed his divorcing wife's attorney and then threatened my mother, who was her therapist.) If that scenario had played out here in Mexico I'm scared to think what would have happened to my family. I don't buy that law enforcement "really doesn't work well anywhere." Sorry.
