The Chapala area has a long history of motorists being squeezed for mordidas by unscrupulous traffic police. And drivers who cave to roadside payoffs are equally guilty of engaging in corruption.
Posting vaguely worded gripes on social media does nothing to remedy the perpetuation of such graft. The right way to act against abusive cops is to register a formal complaint with their superiors.
For that, the interested party should provide as much pertinent information as possible. The date, time and location of the incident, patrol vehicle ID number, name and badge number of the offending officer are essential data. Taking cell phone photos of the officer and vehicle would be a plus for evidence.
File complaints against state traffic police at the Secretaria de Movilidad regional office in Chapala, Flavio Romero de Velasco 409 at the corner of Guerrero, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For cases involving municipal traffic police, go to local Movilidad headquarters, Calle Zaragoza at Niños Heroes in Chapala, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.