Personnel from the Chapala Ministerio Público (district attorney’s office) and the human rights division of Jalisco’s Fiscalia General del Estado (FGE) set up for business at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) campus on Tuesday, April 1, making good on the recent pledges of Governor Aristótoles Sandoval and Attorney General Luis Carlos Nájera to enhance service to local expatriates who become the victims of crime.
The officials were available to attend to crime victims who had not previously registered formal denuncias (complaints) and to those seeking status reports on pending cases.
Staff from the Ministerio Público (MP) included Lake Chapala regional supervisor Rogelio Reyes, office assistant Francisco Javier Serratos and newly assigned bilingual agent Edson Franco. Human Rights division chief Lizzeth Hernández and her bilingual assistant Luis Guzman were also on hand in their role as advisors and advocates for crime victims. Sandra Lordians also participated as a liaison between the expat community and state and local authorities.
The program has been implemented on a trial basis as a step forward in helping expats feel more comfortable and confident in dealing with criminal complaints and justice procedures. The aim of working off-site at the LCS facility is to encourage expats to come forward by providing them with an amenable venue to go through a tedious and often baffling official grind.
The MP is the agency responsible for receiving criminal and civil complaints pertinent to state law, handling related investigations and processing cases to the stage of prosecution and trial.
A crime reported to the local police does not figure into state statistics unless the victim files a formal complaint or a suspect is apprehended and remanded to the MP. Accurate crime index numbers are essential to assure that the government allots adequate manpower and resources to expedite investigatory and prosecutorial work.
Concerned that a significant number of home burglaries and attempted break-ins that have never been reported to the MP, LCS executive director Terry Vidal urges anyone who has been a victim of such crimes within the past 12 months to promptly take advantage of the service. Follow-up on cases still in progress may likewise be pursued through this channel.
He warned that continuation of the initiative could be in jeopardy in view of the small turn-out of less than a half-dozen persons this week. The bilingual officials are scheduled for a return visit to LCS for Wednesday, April 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Subsequent sessions are tentatively programmed for the first and third Wednesdays of following months, provided there are sufficient indications of demand.
Edson Franco noted that he is also available to assist foreigners who appear at the Chapala MP office, Calle Juarez 573, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To file a denuncia, crime victims will be asked to present original official identification with four photocopies for the MP files. Foreign citizens should show valid passports and their current immigration documents. In cases of home burglaries the effected party should also present all available evidence proving ownership of stolen goods.
As a preventive measure, the authorities recommend keeping a full inventory of electronic devices and other valuables, including serial numbers if applicable, as well as invoices and photographs.