BajaNomad - Forming a police force to protect tourists

Forming a police force to protect tourists

arrowhead - 10-3-2009 at 10:18 AM

I'll post the entire article in Spanish below. In summary, it says the mayors of Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada will sign a letter of intent with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. The three Baja municipalities will form a combined police unit specifically assigned to protect tourists. They will have distinct uniforms easily recognizable by tourists, and be bilingual. This force will be trained by the San Diego police department. Tijuana police chief Julián Leyzaola Pérez is in San Diego having discussions about this.

The article:

Quote:

Integrarán la Policía Metropolitana en Baja California

*.- Estará formada por las corporaciones de Tijuana, Rosarito y Ensenada
*.- Los elementos serán entrenados por la Policía de San Diego

TIJUANA BC 3 DE OCTUBRE DE 2009 (AFN).- Las ciudades de Tijuana, Rosarito y Ensenada, formarán en breve la Policía Metropolitana, la cual estará integrada por personal bilingüe que estará encargado de garantizar la seguridad de los turistas que visiten Baja California.
Esto lo dio a conocer el Consulado de México en San Diego, al informar que el próximo 5 de octubre, los alcaldes Jorge Ramos de Tijuana; Hugo Torres Chabert de Rosarito y Pablo Alejo de Ensenada, firmarán una “carta de intención” con el alcalde de San Diego, Jerry Sanders, a fin de que elementos del Departamento de Policía de San Diego, capaciten a los agentes.
La firma del documento se hará en la oficina del alcalde de San Diego y con la presencia de la Cónsul General, Remedio Gómez Arnau, quien fungirá como testigo de honor en esta firma.
Los integrantes de la nueva Policía Metropolitana, tendrá vehículos y uniformes que serán fácilmente reconocidos por los turistas y los agentes serán capacitados por oficiales de San Diego, a través de cursos de desarrollo e intercambio de material didáctico.
Trascendió que el alcalde Ramos dijo este viernes que el Secretario de Seguridad Pública, Julián Leyzaola Pérez, estaba precisamente este viernes, en pláticas en San Diego, para la conformación de esa policía.

http://afntijuana.info/blog/?p=18988

No, no, no! Not a good idea.

toneart - 10-3-2009 at 10:47 AM

Not good for gringo tourists or residents of Baja.

So far, we have not been targets per se. I fear this would draw attention and therefore a backlash/pushback against us. This only serves as a PR attempt to draw us in to spend our money. They are acting under immense pressure to "do something". This will backfire. Mark my words.

I do not think we need a "tourist police force to protect tourists". If the military doesn't have the firepower to defend against the cartels, how in the world could any other police force have adequate manpower and firepower?

:no:

DENNIS - 10-3-2009 at 10:55 AM

Generally speaking, the most evident crimes against tourists are commited by money hungry police. Are they suggesting a police unit that would guard against that? It's highly unlikely.

[Edited on 10-3-2009 by DENNIS]

Bajahowodd - 10-3-2009 at 11:23 AM

The article is short on details. Other than being bilingual and wearing uniforms that will undoubtedly be different from other police, what else do they have to offer? What's the selection process? Will they be armed? If so, with what? Will they be paid better as an elite force? A few years back, such a force may have had a positive effect for tourist. But until the drug crime and the thuggery created by awful economic times is eradicated, I don't see this attempt doing much.

BTW- I was accosted while entering my local supermarket yesterday to sign a pettition for a ballot initiative to legalize, control and tax marijuana. I hope it gets enough signatures to at least make the ballot. Polling aside, this would be a great way to at least see if Californians are getting closer to doing something to help eradicate the violence associated with drug trafficking.

Woooosh - 10-3-2009 at 11:30 AM

So what does this say about the existing Tourist Police in Rosarito? They haven't done much to increase tourism in the past year- have they? Just another propaganda ploy IMHO.

flyfishinPam - 10-3-2009 at 11:32 AM

We were in Cabo early last week and on Monday, Cabo received SIX mega cruise ships. When I was turning into the parking area my husband said "look they're selling POLICE shirts out of the back of that station wagon". I didn't think anything of it.

We proceeded to do our business over the next couple of hours. As we walked the tourist strip back to our car we noticed several military arresting a couple of guys. They were pretty hard on them physically which caused me to look over more that I would usually and then I noticed the problem. The two guys were being arrested for wearing the same fake POLICE shirts that we saw being sold a couple of hours prior!

Bajahowodd - 10-3-2009 at 11:38 AM

I'm fairly libertarian and have a somewhat weird sense of humor. But I can see where selling and/or wearing fake police shirts or uniforms gets mighty close to the issue of shouting fire in a crowded theater. It's not the US, but I do see where if it was, the First Amendment goes only so far.

k-rico - 10-3-2009 at 11:44 AM

Man, what a bunch of cynics. You could look at it as more cops on the street, which is the classic response to crime problems.

I don't get where you guys are coming from.

toneart - 10-3-2009 at 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico
Man, what a bunch of cynics. You could look at it as more cops on the street, which is the classic response to crime problems.

I don't get where you guys are coming from.

So...how is the "classic response" working out so far? You want more of the same?

k-rico - 10-3-2009 at 12:19 PM

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Originally posted by JESSE

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The solution to all of their problems are pretty simple and straight forward. ARREST the one single cell of criminals, who everybody knows, is doing the kidnapping, killing police, and destroying their economy.

OK, so you believe that the authorities know who the bad guys are and let them do their thing; i.e., killing and kidnapping people, including police, and destroying the tourist business. You think the authorities are OK with that, right?

[Edited on 10-3-2009 by k-rico]

DENNIS - 10-3-2009 at 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico

I don't get where you guys are coming from.

Just wondering how much window dressing one is supposed to buy.
Good!!! More police. Excellent!!!! What will they do that that one wouldn't expect from any other policeman? Seems their only attribute will be to give directions to the Español challenged. Do you need a gun-totin' cop to do that?

They'll probably end up being cadets anyway. On the job training.

Bajahowodd - 10-3-2009 at 12:29 PM

As I mentioned earlier, the article was short on details. That said, why are people assuming that there will be more police? It could just as easily be that they will be recruiting from the existing ranks.

k-rico - 10-3-2009 at 12:32 PM

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Originally posted by toneart

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So...how is the "classic response" working out so far? You want more of the same?

There's a whole lot of dead bad guys. The vast majority of the murders have been narcos. I do wish the war had never started but Pandora's box has been opened. Could be there is no turning back. I said could be. It's debatable.

Besides, these tourist cops won't be busting drug dealers, will they?

JESSE - 10-3-2009 at 12:37 PM

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Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by JESSE

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I don't believe, it is a well known FACT in Baja Norte.

k-rico - 10-3-2009 at 12:37 PM

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Originally posted by DENNIS

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Originally posted by k-rico

I don't get where you guys are coming from.

One minute you guys are beaching about all the violence and then the next minute you beach about hiring more cops or at least the increased training of the existing cops with a new priority on protecting tourists.

Do you complain about the sand being sandy, the sun being hot, and the water being wet too?

k-rico - 10-3-2009 at 12:42 PM

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Originally posted by JESSE

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Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by JESSE

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I don't believe, it is a well known FACT in Baja Norte.

If that were true, why are they fighting each other?

BS

toneart - 10-3-2009 at 01:35 PM

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Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by toneart

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So...how is the "classic response" working out so far? You want more of the same?

K-rico,

Who would the tourist cops be protecting the tourists from; what fear or menace? They would be targets merely by their presence.No, they won't be busting drug dealers because they can't. They would just be magnets and consequently, so would we. The cartels love to make violent, bloody, unspeakable examples when they are opposed.

What do they want?...to be left alone to do their drug transporting and dealing. Deal with the drug addiction issue, the drugs themselves, the failed laws that regulate them and the cartels will lose that avenue of income. Hey! they just want to make their customers happy, and they want to make their opposition very unhappy and very dead.

I hate the fact that this is happening but this is not my fight. I want to be invisible, as a non drug using Baja homeowner who wishes to pass back and forth without fear or worse. I want you to live in your house in peace.

And, to answer your earlier question, "Are the authorities OK with that?", referencing the cartel violence...No they aren't but they are powerless to stop it. The Tourist Police is a very weak response, and in my opinion, very wrong.

k-rico - 10-3-2009 at 02:56 PM

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Originally posted by JESSE

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Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by DENNIS

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Originally posted by k-rico

I don't get where you guys are coming from.

I don't think you understand. Baja Nortes problems, are caused mainly, by the corruption and violence created by the Arellano Felix cartel. You can hire twice the amount of cops, and spend millions on training, and that wont solve the problem. If the goverment truly wants to improve conditions, they need to first adress the disease, not the symptoms. Hiring more cops now, its like buyng new apples and trowing them in the same basket with old apples rooting away.

I understand that the AFO brothers who ran things during the heydays are dead or in jail. I also understand that it's a large family and a nephew, a TJ resident, is running things now. I also understand that police corruption was once a huge problem and now it is a smailler problem.

But to say, as you did, that the authorities running the opposition allow the murders, other violence, and the decimation of the tourist business to happen is really an exaggeration and a reflection of the way things used to be. They're trying to stop it and I think are gaining ground. The whole TJ police force has been replaced and they are heavily armed. I'm sure they could use more equipment and I bet they get it.

If it's true that this new brand of cops are going to be trained by the San Diego police force, I think that's great. The San Diego cops are a very professional bunch who don't take any crap, nor bribes, from anyone.

I hear you

wessongroup - 10-3-2009 at 03:01 PM

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Originally posted by toneart

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Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by toneart

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So...how is the "classic response" working out so far? You want more of the same?

Right as usual... how do you live with it.... :?:

Bajahowodd - 10-3-2009 at 03:57 PM

It all boils down to money. There is an incredible amount of money floating around. Obscene amounts of money. This will not end until the US legalizes pot. But who wants to guess when, if ever that will happen?

woody with a view - 10-3-2009 at 04:05 PM

i'll guess!

when hell opens an ice rink.....

Bajahowodd - 10-3-2009 at 04:08 PM

Got my skates out. Care to do a round?

mtgoat666 - 10-3-2009 at 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JESSE
Oh lord..... How would you describe then, the fact that the state police, the pep, and the federal police, has NOT made ANY significant arrest in the past years? what would you call then, the fact that TWICE!!! members of the governors very own personal guard, have been arrested with guns, drugs, and cartel members? what would you call then the fact, that convicted drug dealers, have confessed in detail, that they gave millions of dollars for their political campaigns to former mayors and congress members in Baja? how would you describe the fact that, the former army general in charge of drug fighting in Baja who was actually doing a very good job, got removed and was retired at the request of the governor who couldnt deal with the general claims that the state goverment was sabotaging their efforts?

The whole Tijuana police force has NOT been replaced, only some corrupt cops have been fired or arrested. And they themselves rutinely post messages in newspapers, complaining that their old and weak bullet proof vests,regular cars, and AR-15s, can't compete against AK-47s, grenades, cop killer guns, and all the top equipment that narcos have.

To finish, Mexican police has been trained many times before by not only the San Diego Police, but by the FBI, DEA, Colombian Police, etc etc etc etc ........

Guess what??

Those law enforcement agencies can train, but they cant supervise and follow up on how that training is being used out in the field.

We have seen all of this, many many times before, and it hasnt worked.

This is similar to Columbia, and in Columbia the war has dragged on far too many decades. If mexican govt allows things to continue spiraling out of control, the cartels will morph to rebel armies with political agendas.
The drug war won't stop until you throw missiles down on the cartels and take out their leaders and armies. The Mexican government needs to declare war against the cartels, and Mexican army needs to use predator drones, missiles and helicopter gunships to take out cartels.
If Mexican govt doesn't get a handle on the problem, then you may see US military conducting operations in Mexico within the next decade or two.

arrowhead - 10-4-2009 at 12:28 AM

I just went back and looked at the readers comments to the article in AFN. All the Mexicans agree with Jesse.

k-rico - 10-4-2009 at 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by arrowhead
I just went back and looked at the readers comments to the article in AFN. All the Mexicans agree with Jesse.

Wait a minute. "All the Mexicans"? I don't need to explain how silly that statement is, do I?

Jesse said:

"The solution to all of their problems are pretty simple and straight forward. ARREST the one single cell of criminals, who everybody knows, is doing the kidnapping, killing police, and destroying their economy."

I'm taking issue with that statement. It implies that the problems could be easily ended but the authorities are chosing not to. That the authorities are OK with the violence and the extreme damage to the economy. That this "fact" is known by the millions of citizens of BC and they just accept it. That this "fact" is known by the Calderon and his army and he does nothing.

It also implies that if the "one single cell of criminals" is arrested no new ones would come along. Maybe "better the devil I know" is coming into play (as I think it should).

It's almost impossible to believe things are as simplistic as Jesse thinks.

[Edited on 10-4-2009 by k-rico]

woody with a view - 10-4-2009 at 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Got my skates out. Care to do a round?

sadly, living at the beach all my life has produced in me an inability to do anything on ice but fall. so the short answer is, "no!"

but thanks for asking! :lol:

durrelllrobert - 10-4-2009 at 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
So what does this say about the existing Tourist Police in Rosarito? They haven't done much to increase tourism in the past year- have they? Just another propaganda ploy IMHO.

Isn't it illrgal to impersonate a policeman in Mexico? :?:

SDRonni - 10-4-2009 at 10:33 AM

I would think impersonating a policeman would be the same as wearing a shirt with a target on the back.............

toneart - 10-4-2009 at 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SDRonni
I would think impersonating a policeman would be the same as wearing a shirt with a target on the back.............

...or standing next to one. :smug:

Woooosh - 10-4-2009 at 10:45 AM

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Originally posted by JESSE

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Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by JESSE

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I don't believe, it is a well known FACT in Baja Norte.

seconded!

Woooosh - 10-4-2009 at 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico

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Originally posted by toneart

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So...how is the "classic response" working out so far? You want more of the same?

I don't think even the regular police bust drug dealers- it is a federal crime responded to by the Mexican feds.

wilderone - 10-5-2009 at 09:30 AM

"This force will be trained by the San Diego police department." Is that why SD Mayor Sanders is included? Or does "combined" mean that some SD police officers will be stationed in TJ? Now I'm all for combating crime and protecting tourists, but San Diego is in deep doo doo finance-wise - huge debt, layoffs, etc. Now San Diego is going to use its resources to help Mexican tourism? If SD is going to use its police force with respect to Mexico and its problems, police action should be aimed at car theft, drug importation, petty theft - all the perpetrators from Mexico; all the victims in San Diego - this is a daily occurrence.

Woooosh - 10-5-2009 at 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wilderone
"This force will be trained by the San Diego police department." Is that why SD Mayor Sanders is included? Or does "combined" mean that some SD police officers will be stationed in TJ? Now I'm all for combating crime and protecting tourists, but San Diego is in deep doo doo finance-wise - huge debt, layoffs, etc. Now San Diego is going to use its resources to help Mexican tourism? If SD is going to use its police force with respect to Mexico and its problems, police action should be aimed at car theft, drug importation, petty theft - all the perpetrators from Mexico; all the victims in San Diego - this is a daily occurrence.

It is hard to figure out what the roles will be. No chance of any USA cops physically being in TJ though- talk about a PR nightmare if something went "wrong". It's true that SD has no taxpayer money to waste. I'm fairly sure there is a grant or slush fund for stuff like this out there for them though ... somewhere.

DENNIS - 10-5-2009 at 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
I'm fairly sure there is a grant or slush fund for stuff like this out there for them though ... somewhere.

Merida Initiative funds perhaps?
Has the US released any of that carrot-on-a-stick money yet?

wilderone - 10-6-2009 at 09:03 AM

If any type of stimulus money is going to be used, I'm telling. I'm quite sure federal money supplied to stimulate the US economy would be illegally spent if the purpose of the expenditure is to train a foreign police force or supply any type of equipment whatsoever, all for the intent to promote Mexican tourism. Sanders thinks we have mutual interests and this political boondoggle has binational effect - NO WRONG INCORRECT. Mexicans don't have a problem with crossing the border into the US, spending their money in San Diego or fear getting shot by SD police or bribed during phony traffic stops. Sanders is a fool.

DENNIS - 10-6-2009 at 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wilderone
Sanders is a fool.

I have to agree. Decisions, such as this, are what you get when ex-police and military are allowed to run your government. After thirty years doing the same thing, one's mind tends to be stuck in a rut.
Tourism Police. What a joke. What's next, Friendship Police? If they were serious about giving the tourists a fair shake, they'd just can every cop who has an extortion complaint filed against him but, that's as naive a notion as thinking a police unit in Bermuda Shorts and on bicycles will stop the nonsense.
But, what the heck, if Torres and Sanders say it will work, who are we rubes to think differently. They both have perfect records of infallable decisions.

k-rico - 10-6-2009 at 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wilderone
Sanders thinks we have mutual interests and this political boondoggle has binational effect - NO WRONG INCORRECT.

Really?

I wonder if the San Diego convention center, the San Diego hotels, and the San Diego tourism organizations ever used San Diego's proximty to Mexico as a positive marketing tool that brought business to the city?

When I was working I frequently had to entertain out-of-town business associates from the East Coast. Many times, at their request, that included a trip to TJ for trinket shopping, dinner, and drinks.

k-rico - 10-6-2009 at 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

But, what the heck, if Torres and Sanders say it will work, who are we rubes to think differently.

haha, gotcha!

[Edited on 10-6-2009 by k-rico]

wilderone - 10-6-2009 at 09:49 AM

"I wonder if the San Diego convention center, the San Diego hotels, and the San Diego tourism organizations ever used San Diego's proximty to Mexico as a positive marketing tool that brought business to the city?"
Si - you have a point. But what are the hard statistics? How many people in SD hotels and organizations booking a convention in SD made that choice simply because they want to cross the border? Also, this special force wearing special uniforms is primarily to patrol Mex. 1 and points south of Ensenada as well. The vast majority of TJ daytrippers out of San Diego never gets past Revolucion Ave. It's only grandstanding politics if there's no hard business data to support the theory that this will be something to improve San Diego's economy.

Woooosh - 10-6-2009 at 09:54 AM

Zeta published El Teo's picture on the front page of the paper yesterday. It is the first time anyone has dared to print it. All bets for local public safety are off for a while... He's really peeed off and it's gonna be ugly.

The Union Trib (in the article about the three cops slain last week) says El Teo is paying drug addicts $300-500 for each cop they kill.

Besides- this is all a propaganda ploy. The local police have no expectations of doing anything better or making anything safer:

"The training will probably be more along the lines of enhancing cultural sensitivity to northerners than about police professionalization, said Jorge Eduardo Montero Alvarez, Rosarito's secretary of public safety."

[Edited on 10-6-2009 by Woooosh]

DENNIS - 10-6-2009 at 10:12 AM

And another thing while I'm steaming....Doesn't Tijuana have a large police academy? Sure they do. What does this have to say about the inadequacy of that agency to train police?
It probably doesn't say anything except they're going to get something for nothing and it might improve their image for a couple of weeks at US expense.

Gawwwdamm...this sham irritates me no end.

REMEMBER THE ZETAS...Another great US idea.

k-rico - 10-6-2009 at 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wilderone
It's only grandstanding politics if there's no hard business data to support the theory that this will be something to improve San Diego's economy.

Well, at least there is an "IF" there.

"grandstanding politics"

What does that mean and what is the purpose?

DENNIS - 10-6-2009 at 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico

"grandstanding politics"

What does that mean and what is the purpose?

It means Red Herring. It means, solve the problem and training cops to act like Richard Simmons wont do that.

k-rico - 10-6-2009 at 10:18 AM

Tijuana Tailspin Hurting San Diego?

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/aug/12/tijuana-tails...

Dianamo - 10-6-2009 at 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
It all boils down to money. There is an incredible amount of money floating around. Obscene amounts of money. This will not end until the US legalizes pot. But who wants to guess when, if ever that will happen?

Why didn't we learn that "prohibition" cannot work without crime. As long as anything for personal consumptions is illegal there will be a huge profit margin and crime will remain. Remove the huge profits and there is no incentive for the crime.

I had the opportunity to sign the petition yesterday! :tumble:

Bajahowodd - 10-6-2009 at 12:21 PM

Good for you!

Hey. I really feel for the daunting task facing Juan Saldana. One thing that appears to be overlooked in all the hub bub about tourist police, is this.
Let's say that a miracle happens, and tomorrow, Tijuana is completely free of drug crime, cartels, Etc. Even if and when tourists feel safe if they travel to TJ, there is a big change that no one appears to realize. It's the passport requirement, coupled with the huge delays coming back. Americans possess a startlingly low percentage of passports as compared to most industrialized nations. Add to that, the fact that even those that have them do not carry them during domestic travel. So, the spur of the moment trip to TJ, while vacationing in San Diego is far less likely to happen than in days past. Even, feeling a tinge of nostalgia here, what locals even think about hitting TJ for the evening to grab a couple of margaritas and dinner?

If there is to be any effective cross-border cooperation on the tourism issue, it's going to have to involve the Feds. For example, what if the Customs and Immigration people devised a secure pass for the day tripper? Let's say they set up a booth on the US side of the border, and issue day passes, securely printed and numbered, issued subject to photo ID. And maybe they could dedicate a pedestrian lane for re-entry. Just saying that with the current passport requirement, tourism will never return to the levels of the past.

[Edited on 10-6-2009 by Bajahowodd]

toneart - 10-6-2009 at 02:07 PM

Me thinks San Diego is Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places

Hey! That would be a great title for a song! :light:

It's got all the elements, such as: "The biatch got me all likkered up an stole ma gun right outta ma holster, put on ma boots and rode ma horse right on inta the sunset and disappeared. And ma dawg upped an followered her.

But ah still got ma hat that K-rico gave me, so there's still a chance the TJ tourist police can find ma wanderin' lost Love.
:rolleyes:

DENNIS - 10-6-2009 at 04:16 PM

Aw...Who cares. It'll do what it does and there's nothing we can do about it.
We are all victims.

wessongroup - 10-6-2009 at 04:27 PM

Hell, I've got the Mexican Army driving by.. "I don't need no stinking police".

Said with a great deal of respect for the police of Mexico, what a difficult situation.. and for years I thought my job was hard..

Retired crash test dummy..

toneart - 10-6-2009 at 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wessongroup
Hell, I've got the Mexican Army driving by.. "I don't need no stinking police".

Said with a great deal of respect for the police of Mexico, what a difficult situation.. and for years I thought my job was hard..

Retired crash test dummy..

You had more ambition than I. I aspired to being a speed bump, but the effort was too daunting. I never couldn't get it together. :bounce:

DENNIS - 10-6-2009 at 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wessongroup
"I don't need no stinking police".

The problem is....you do.
Society, as we know it, is incumbent on protection that we have agreed to, and if it isn't allowed or provided as we require it, the agreement is meaningless.
Why would you rely on a meaningless agreement?
Why would you rely on an agency which you have entrusted with your well being if they wont provide you your security?

Do you own a gun?

You very well should.

More cops

wessongroup - 10-6-2009 at 11:42 PM

"Society, as we know it, is incumbent on protection that we have agreed to"

Who's we, white man... never signed on to a police state... and yeah I got an AK-47, pump shotgun, and a glock, plus some amo... and if I can I will get some heavy stuff if it comes to that too...

However, I feel safer here in Mexico than I do in Orange County California ... :lol:

[Edited on 10-7-2009 by wessongroup]

[Edited on 10-7-2009 by wessongroup]

DENNIS - 10-7-2009 at 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wessongroup
... never signed on to a police state...

I'm willing to bet you didn't sign on for Anarchy either.
I keep forgetting how the mindset changes from one side of the border to the other. On the Mexico side, the luxery of having a locked and loaded arsenal isn't openly available and for those who adhere to that law, the illusion of security is absent.
You forgot to mention Claymore Mines. An Orange County toy box would be incomplete without a bunch of those.

wilderone - 10-7-2009 at 08:52 AM

The more I think about this the more it doesn't make sense - especially in light of what Bajahowodd has pointed out, and the fact that tourists, generally, really haven't been targeted by those orchestrating the murders and other crimes that we hear about. Mordida relating to traffic stops has been going on for many years. There was that rash of Mex. 1 armed robberies, but seems to have stopped. So the whole premise of this project seems misplaced. You have to wonder the real reason, and who initiated it. And then it occurred to me that Sanders is definitely getting in harms way. Cops are being murdered by drug cartels to send a message to lay off and let them proliferate - now SDPD is getting involved? Wouldn't that just make Sanders a drug cartel target?

DENNIS - 10-7-2009 at 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wilderone
Cops are being murdered by drug cartels to send a message to lay off and let them proliferate - now SDPD is getting involved? Wouldn't that just make Sanders a drug cartel target?

Like you said, tourism and cartel activities don't seem to get in each other's way so a tourisim police force, which he is involving himself with, would seem to be of no interest to the cartels.
Perhaps to the contrary depending on how deeply the cartels are financially involved in the tourism industry. This new law enforcment effort or whatever it is may be a welcome addition as far as they're concerned.

It's Mexico. Who really knows.

[Edited on 10-7-2009 by DENNIS]