The below is from an old Baja site. I had Sindicatura and the TJ office # on the back of my license from 2000-2012 when I was frequently in Baja and it worked 1 out of 2 times. I knew the director of the Sindicatura in Penasco a few years ago and used his card the last time I got popped in Mexicali and it worked but I still ponied up 20 bucks and got his name and facebook page in case he pulls me over again for a phantom violation.
There is a public worker's union office specifically charged with investigating police matters, and firing corrupt officials. It is called the "
Sindicatura," and it is a name you should remember. It is pronounced "
seen-dee-kah-too-ra."
It does not matter if the officer speaks English, or understands anything of what you are saying. When he hears that word, the game is usually over. It has been said by a Mexican observer, "Sindicatura to a police officer is like a gold cross to a vampire." They are the "untouchables" of the local government.
Sindicatura del Gobierno Municipal
Tijuana (664) 688-2810, 973-7770, 973-7759, 683-4095
Ensenada (646) 617,1561, 176-2222, 617-1561
Mexicali (686) 558-1600 x1661
( Note: these phone numbers are unverified. )
It might be useful to have a small sheet taped to the back of your drivers license with these phone numbers written below the words Sindicatura del Gobierno Municipal.
If you have a phone number for the Sindicatura in another Baja city, please send the information to me by email: ftm @ math.ucr.edu.
The Sindicatura organization in Tijuana has a website at
www.sindicatura.gob.mx I find this website difficult to navigate, but you might give it try. There is a complaints form - I'll provide a separate link here to avoid the navagations problems with the website:
www.sindicatura.gob.mx/complaints/Complaints.asp
Another useful website is the Tourist Legal Guide maintained by the city government of Tijuana:
www.tijuana.gob.mx/Turismo/TouristGuide/English
A personal experience (Jan. 30, 2003):
With over 200,000 miles of driving in Mexico, I'd never been stopped by a Highway Patrol officer . . . until Jan. 30 of 2003. I won't go into all the details, but just to the north of Loreto, while heading south, I was stopped and informed I'd be facing a "passing in a no-passing zone" infraction (which was not a factual assertion). Mixed in the first few sentences was the fact that I'd have to pay the fine in Santa Rosalia, now 115 miles to the north. This was the obvious "mordida" come-on, but I continued playing dumb.
Next I handed over my CA drivers license and the car registration. The officer began filling out the large form he had on a clipboard while looking at my license. He then turned over the license to see what was on the back and found a small piece of paper I'd taped there. He looked at this paper, fingered it, looked off into space, pondered it some more, and then slowly seemed to be scratching out what he'd written on the form.
I was then handed back my drivers license and car registration, and warned to be more careful when passing, all as he walked back to his patrol car.
The small piece of paper was exactly the one I suggested above to tape to the back of your drivers license. While this patrolman was out of the Santa Rosalia office, far from TJ and Ensenada, he was probably reasoning that if I was aware of the function of the Sindicatura up north, I might well be savvy enough to cause him some problems in his own district.
Should you be charged with a traffic infraction and would like to discuss the matter (probably in Spanish), the person to speak with at the Police Station is the
Juez Calificador (an office judge who makes "on the spot" determinations of justice and often sets the fine). The correct approach with the "Juez" (pronounced "Whez") would be to act as politely as possible. The Juez is the person in control in this situation - don't make the Juez an adversary!
