Lakeside’s expatriate community is definitely reaping benefits from the outreach program implemented three months ago by the Chapala’s office of the Ministerio Público (MP or District Attorney), according to the agency’s regional supervisor Rogelio Reyes.
Interviewed by the Reporter this week, Reyes pointed to the recent recuperation of an iPad pilfered more than a year ago during a local home burglary as a case in point.
The owner of the device was one of the first crime victims to take advantage of the bimonthly public service sessions MP officials have been holding at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) campus. The burglary complaint filed promptly after the incident occurred specified precise location information captured through the gadget’s “Find My iPad” feature.
The frustrated owner returned to the LCS on April 1 to enquire whether any progress had been achieved in investigating the case. After looking into the matter, MP officials were able to inform the individual that the state’s cyber police unit had pinned down the exact address where the iPad was being used.Reyes said that investigators eventually recovered the device from a man who claimed to have bought it for his son from a street vendor in downtown Guadalajara. Authorities have not been able to identify the thief or the fence who peddles stolen electronics.
Nonetheless, the official stressed two important lessons learned from this particular case. One: filing a formal complaint is the vital step for launching investigations that can lead to the recovery of stolen goods. And two: crime victims can expect better results if they ardently follow up of the status of cases put in the hands of the MP.
Noting that attendance at the LCS sessions has been sufficient to merit continuation of the outreach program, Reyes said foreign residents are gaining greater confidence in authorities and a firmer grasp on how the Mexican justice system operates.
“Our procedures are very different from those followed by prosecutors in other countries. Here reporting theft or burglary with a phone call to the police is not enough. The victim has to appear before the MP to make a declaration and present proper evidence of ownership,” he explained.
Persons who are not fluent in Spanish require the assistance of an interpreter when appearing at the MP to file a denuncia (complaint) or give testimony as witnesses. Chapala’s bilingual MP agent Omar Franco is available to help explain procedures, but cannot act as an interpreter for recording declarations. Luis Guzman, an official working at the Attorney General’s Human Rights Division, and an independent volunteer fluent in English, Spanish and French is usually on hand at the LCS sessions to assist those who are not accompanied by an interpreter of their choice. A qualified interpreter can also be brought in from Guadalajara to aid people at local MP offices, but that may involve a delay of hours or days.
Reyes revealed that progress is being made on several other complaints registered by expats, but he is not at liberty to give details at this juncture.
Of course, Mexican authorities, like those in other places, are not always able to solve crimes, capture the culprits and successfully prosecute cases. But Reyes and his agents appear to be making a real effort to better serve the lakeside community without distinction of nationality.
Because of the Can-Am Celebration scheduled for the first Wednesday of July, the next MP session at LCS has been bumped to Wednesday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Chapala MP office at Calle Juarez 573 is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.