Overview Mexican Legal System
General Overview
Law enforcement personnel are divided by both jurisdiction and function. Jurisdictionally, the police are divided into municipal, state, and federal police departments, each of which has different responsibilities. For example, drug trafficking is considered a federal crime and falls under the jurisdiction of the federal police. Homicides are state crimes and investigated by state police. Functionally, the police have traditionally been divided into preventive and investigative departments.
Preventive police departments operate at all three levels of government and are typically organized under the auspices of a Secretariat of Public Security.
Their primary job is to conduct patrols, maintain public order, prevent crime and administrative violations, and be the first responders to crime. The transit police, responsible for sanctioning traffic violations and responding to accidents, are technically considered part of the preventive police; however, in some cases they are organized as a separate police force. The ministerial police, formerly known as the judicial police, organized under the auspice of federal and state public ministries, are responsible for investigating crimes and carrying out judicial and ministerial warrants. Source: http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/pubs/Police%20Reform%20in%20Mexico.%20Sabet.pdf
Police
To report a crime, you can call the respective police department number or call the Emergency 066 Number. Click here to find out more about 066. If the crime is in process, call the police department immediately. After the fact, you can use the 066 emergency system.
Once the crime has been done, the victim must report it to Ministerio Publico, in Spanish with an interpretor, if needed. Another option is to file an Anonymous Denucia (089) with the Secretaria e Seguridad Publica.
Ministerio Publico
The Ministerio Publico is the equivalent of the state district attorney’s office. They are responsible for handling criminal and civil complaints related to state law. They receives denouncements, represent crime victims and collect evidence and process cases to the stage of pressing formal charges for prosecution. Click here to see the information you may need for the ministerio.
Jalisco Secretaria de Seguridad Publica
In the Ministry of Public Security, Prevention and Social Rehabilitation, provides public safety, prevent criminal acts and enforcement of sanctions on prevention and rehabilitation.
Vision: Their vision is to have a safe state in which the conditions of social peace and tranquility that achieve the common benefit of Jalisco.
Mission: Their mission is to Safeguarde the integrity, dignity and rights of persons and their property, maintain public order in the state, promote and coordinate crime prevention programs, focusing on the rehabilitation efforts, and establish coordination mechanisms between different authorities to support and help of the population, both in public safety in cases of accidents and disasters.
Objectives: Their objectives are to lead and provide public safety services within the scope of its competence, prevention and social rehabilitation, care and support for released prisoners, as well as designing and implementing state guidelines in criminal and crime prevention, basing their actions on integrity and rights of the people, preserving their freedom and public peace and respect for human rights.
Click here on how to report crimes anonymously using their 089 system!
Crooked Cops:
From Guadalajara Reporter Dec 2011: In a bid to limit the abuse of authority by traffic agents or police officers, Jalisco’s State Comptroller has created a website that enables citizens to publicize any extortion attempts or wrongdoing they encounter.
In addition, part of the “jugando limpio,” or “playing fair” initiative launched last year at http://jugandolimpio.jalisco.gob.mx/index.html enables users to upload video recordings or testimonies of extortion.
To submit a complaint click on the “Quejas y Denuncias” link on the bottom right of the website’s home page. You will then be linked to an electronic form to be filled out detailing the nature of the complaint. Alternatively, non-web users can call 01-800-4663786.