Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Please see the following (FAQ) for practical information about common interactions between the PP and members of the San Miguel community.

 

1. How do I contact the PP in case of an emergency?
Dial 066, just that. If you are calling from a land line phone in San Miguel or from a Mexican cell phone, there is no need to dial anything but those three numbers. An attendant will answer, usually with the salutation, “Emergencia” (Emergency.) Then, depending on the situation as you describe it, the attendant will redirect your call to the PP or to another appropriate organization.

2. Will someone who speaks English be available to talk to me when I call 066?
Not necessarily. Due to budgetary constraints and the availability of bilingual staff, English speakers are not present on every shift.

3. If I call 066, but am too distressed to provide my address, or if I don’t understand that I am being asked for my address, or if the line suddenly goes dead, can the staff at 066 trace my call to my location?
Yes, provided the call is made from a landline phone, in which case the 066 staff will be able to see the caller’s phone number and match that number with an address. This cannot be done with a cell phone call, however.

4. If I am having an interaction with the PP, regardless of who initiates the contact, are individual PP officers required to identify themselves to me? Are they required to show me their official credential?
Yes, the members of the PP must identify themselves to you and show you their identification badges; identifications badges are commonly worn on a lanyard around the neck.

5. What can a citizen do if the PP refuse to identify themselves? What if the officer did not arrive in an official numbered vehicle?
If a member of the PP refuses to provide identification, it is a rules infraction at best. At worst, you are not dealing with a bona fide PP officer. Bona fide PP officers will always arrive in a numbered car. If individuals claiming to be members of the PP arrive in an unnumbered car, you are not dealing with bona fide PP officials.

6. What forms of a private citizen’s identification documents do the PP have the right to view?
The PP have the right to ask to see, and to be shown, documents that serve to confirm a person’s identity. Such documents might include a driver’s license, a passport, an immigration document with a photo, etc. The PP do not have the right to ask to see documents that have no bearing on a person’s identity, such as a telephone bill or the deed (escritura) to a person’s house, for example.

7. Under what circumstances can the PP make an arrest? Isn’t there a limited, but undefined, period of time during which they are authorized to arrest a suspect? How is this vague time period defined?
The PP may make an arrest if they catch a person in the act of a criminal activity, or shortly thereafter. For example, if today a victim tells a PP officer that her purse was stolen a few moments ago and that the thief was wearing a red shirt and ran off in such and such a direction, the PP can give chase. If they catch such a person, they can make an arrest. But, if they loose the suspect or if the theft happened yesterday or hours ago, the victim must report the theft at the Public Ministry for follow up/investigation.

8. So, what reason would a person have to report a crime at a local PP station if the crime had already been reported to the Public Ministry and the time for apprehending the perpetrator in the act had long past?
The more the PP know about crimes committed or attempted in the zones under their supervision, the better they are able to guard against such activities. Even though the PP will not be able to investigate a specific crime, they may be able to increase patrols in the area and take other measures in an effort to prevent or discourage such an incident from happening there again.

9. Can the PP arrest for any type of offense committed in their presence, or are they limited only to minor offences?
The PP can arrest for any offense, large or small (from robbery to murder, for example) that happens in their presence, or immediately thereafter as noted above. To use their terminology, the PP can arrest when they have caught a criminal in flagrante delicto.

10. Where do the PP take persons they arrest and what is the maximum length of time they can hold such persons?
Persons who are arrested by the PP are taken to a detention facility within the PP’s offices in the Presidencia building. There they can be held for up to 36 hours. A typical sequence of events might take place as follows: The occupant of a house hears someone trying to break in. The occupant calls the PP. The PP arrive and apprehend the individual in the act of breaking a window. They arrest the individual and take that person to their detention facility. At this point, the victim must act quickly. He/she must go immediately to the Public Ministry, report the break-in and advise that the suspect is in custody at the Presidencia. The Public Ministry will then request that the suspect be transferred to their custody pending an investigation, because the police can only hold the suspect for 36 hours.

11. How is bail arranged?
Bail is arranged through a judge within the Public Ministry.

12. May fines always be paid in lieu of jail time? What are typical fines?
A person arrested for a “falta,” an infraction of the civil rules, such as public drunkenness, can pay a fine and be released from detention. A person arrested for a “delito,” a crime, cannot be set free by paying a fine. Fines vary, depending on the falta and the situation.

13. Under what circumstances may the PP take and hold a person’s property as evidence? For example, are the PP required to provide the victim of a robbery, whose property has been recovered but is to be held pending a trial, with a descriptive receipt of that property?
The PP may take and hold property as evidence to be presented at a trial when, to obtain a conviction, such property needs to be physically present in court as proof that a crime was committed. For example, if a thief steals a purse and the PP arrest the individual in possession of the purse, the thief and the purse might be held to show to a judge. The PP must give the victim a descriptive receipt for such property taken as evidence.

14. Are there any circumstances under which the PP may enter a dwelling without the occupant’s permission? Is a document, such as a search warrant, needed?
There are no circumstances under which the PP may enter a dwelling without the occupant’s consent. Even if they are chasing a suspect and the suspect runs into a house, the PP cannot enter the house “in hot pursuit” unless given permission by the occupant. The Public Ministry is a different story; it is their officers who can enter a dwelling without the occupant’s consent, provided they have a search warrant.

15. In the event that an intruder invades a dwelling, what measures can the occupant take to protect himself or herself from the intruder?
If an intruder is using force against the occupant of a dwelling, or appears about to use force, the victim may respond with force. However, the PP strongly suggest that the occupant consider that his/her main goal should be to resolve the situation without injury or loss of life. Accordingly, if the intruder is in the process of making a forceful entry, or has entered and the occupant has access to a phone, the occupant’s best first action is to dial the PP emergency number: 066