Police

So far the policia have been very professional and friendly during my time in BA. No corruption or anything that seems to be at the street cop level at least.

The few times I've had to ask directions or talk to a cop, it was always friendly and no problems. Last night was a more involved interaction though that I thought deserves mention.

Took a brand new taxi from Recoleta out to Belgrano - Barrio Chino to get some chinese takeout but halfway there the cab developed clutch problems and it completely blew out. Leading us to pull over on the side of this large main road on the way to Belgrano. It's sort of highway like, no businesses or sidewalks on either side, it's basically just an express way.

The replacement taxi which the driver called for said would take 20 min or more, and I couldn't wave down any taxis as it seemed every single one on this highway type road was all with passengers, no free ones.

Luckily, a police car with two officers pull up a min later and after the cab driver tells them what's wrong with his car, they ask me where I was going and I tell them Barrio Chino so they smile and offer me a ride.

Nice chat and joking around with the cops along the 7-8 min ride there, just two regular guys who happen to be cops on the job.

I agree with most of Mpexy's post regarding the disposition of local cops. As a common pedestrian/bystander, the cops here have always been quite friendly and helpful to me (directions, basic questions, etc). My experience with several US cops has been just the opposite - many seem to be on a power trip and have a chip on their shoulder.

However, in five years here every Argentine cop I've ever dealt with has been more crooked than a 3-dollar bill. My dealings with them have been mostly for minor traffic infractions. They are so damn corrupt that you usually don't even have to beat around the bush when bribing them. Some will even give you a homemade laminated "menu" of bribe prices. Bad Uturn - 15 pesos, invalid drivers license - 30 pesos. I'm 90% certain that some of these guys aren't even cops. Some carry ratty old PFA jackets in the trunk but are simply street thugs that are connected to the regular police (talking from experience).

Hell I'd rather pay 20 pesos under the table for running a "yellow" light bribe trap than go to court anyway. When they realize you're American you can see their eyeballs go "cha-ching" with $$$ like a cartoon character.

You've probably noticed that Puerto Madero is patrolled by the Prefectura (beige uniforms) which is a branch of the Navy I believe. They seem to be a much more professional/honest authority to be reckoned with. About twice as expensive to bribe, and you have to be at least somewhat discreet about it.

Prefectura is the Coast Guard. Provincial cops are very bad, PFA not as bad but all Argentines dislike them for good reason.

Of course when you pay them 800 pesos a month what do you expect!

800 pesos is the median national wage here. I suppose that police and teachers in USA also earn around the median. I believe that corruption being so ingrained in the culture here (AR cops are maybe no more corrupt than anybody else) is the main problem. I havent personally noticed a correlation between ethics and income / wealth here. Actually, it may be negative.

I think the thing that influences me the most when I hear about graft and corruption in latin american cops, is that I think of my experiences with LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) and while I'm not saying some Buenos Aires copy holding out his hand is a good thing for some imagined wrong doing or as a way for you to get out of something you really did but shouldn't officially have to pay for, between the two polar opposites of a corrupt cop holding his hand out vs. The hyper zealot enforcing whatever decree he wants on a whim (e. G. LAPD) I'd rather take the corruption.

There is a whole different world between USA cops and cops in underdevloped countries. The problem with corruption in law enforcement is it shakes the foundation of society. We give these folks the right to detain and arrest. We give them the authority to take a life under less restrictive conditions than a citizen.

All Departments have bad cops, some worse than others. In USA they are in the minority. Usually they are just idiots who do not understand their job and can cause you some minor problems (like two extra tickets during a traffic stop) but then you get guys like the NYPD Detecives working for the mob for 20 years and doing wet work for them.

LAPD never impressed me, however, they received great publicity from all their friends in the TV and movie business in the 50's and 60's (Dragnet, Adam 12, etc) that portrayed them as the best, most progressive Department in USA. Historically they have had many organizational problems and their top people always seem to disappear when problems arise.

Finally, teachers or others earning median wage are not asked to respond when some 240 lb freak is beating the shit of you or when dozens of citizens decide to run wild. In BA I have heard many times that the cops do little because their pay is not worth them getting hurt or killed.

Sorry if I am going on. My advice; watch the Cris Rock video on how to not get the shit beat out of you by cops, or just be calm and pleasant. When dealing with any law enforcement you hold very few cards.

Miami Vice was my favorite cop squad. Nice cars and chicas too.

Sonny Crockett had a few run-ins with internal affairs but generally a good vice cop. His partner Ricardo Tubbs was not so impressive though - I think he's found another line of work.

I never really respected LAPD or CHP, Ponch and Jon.

First let me say that I know, like, and respect Thomaso. Second let me say that I have been (physically) abused by cops more than once (as in twice) for absolutely no reason (and also got third beating but deserved it, pretty much, but they still should leave that all to the wheels of justice) None of those cops was Thomaso, though. Third let me say that both teaching and being a cop are tough jobs, though in different ways.

Having said all that, I think that if a cop makes a salary of X, a public high school teacher should make a salary of perhaps 1.2X because the job requires more education (and that costs money and delays entry into the work force) But, a cop should have a better retirement plan and better health insurance because you can teach until you are say 65 and you can really only be a cop until you are say 55, and being a cop is more physically dangerous (or at least it was until these little 14 year old fucks started shooting up class rooms with guns they probably stole from Punter127's collection)

But, that assumes that a teacher works the same amount of hours as a cop, and they don't. Teachers get more time off. So, take that 1.2 X and multiply by a teacher getting 2/12 of the year off. 1.2 x 10/12 = 1 so pay them both the same and let god sort it all out.

I think you'll find that the 800 pesos figure for BA cops is obsolete. But their salary is still nothing to write home about.

It is tough being a cop in the bad areas. My nephew was a captain in charge of the Narc Squad in the city that the FBI picked as the number one crime city in the United States. And now he is retired and can't get a permit to carry a gun, so he can protect himself from all the scum drug people he put in prison. I think it fuckin stinks.

Sconjo USA

I've never had a problem with a cop in the US or overseas either, for that matter. Of course, I've never smarted back, talked about "pigs," claimed I had a Constitutional right to smoke pot, or suggested that the policeman had better things to do than stop poor-little-innocent-me-the-taxpayer-who-pays-his-bloated-salary.

I've always been polite and answer "yes sir," "no officer," and "thank you very much." People who repeatedly get their asses beaten by cops are probably inviting the smackdown through their criminal acts, insolent statements, or just by their stupid and threatening behavior. *YAWN*

Coincidentally with the recent cop reports, the "buzzer" for my apartment buzzed this morning soon after sexo with my chica favorita. She handled the intercom and it was a cop saying somebody from my apartment had called the police. Not true, which she told him. Soon after, I escorted her downstairs to let her out. The cop was still outside, I guess trying to figure out what was going on. When he saw her he gave me the high sign.

"Relieved" dog

I was on Guido Avenida one night and I took a few pictures of Whats Up and Affairre suddenly two undercover police appeared telling me I can't take pictures. They showed me their badges and acted like I had committed a serious offence. Then I showed them my passaporte. They said Norte Americano. I said yes. They let me go. I was thinking what in the fuck did I do wrong.

I was in Recoleta Park and there were some Portenos passing a joint arround. I was tempted to ask for a hit. But my fear of the police kempt me from getting a hit or two. Dos anyone know what the laws are for getting busted for smoking pot? For foriegners? Do you just pay the police off?

But I'm betting 50 pesos in your passport gets you out of it. If your not carrying weight your not going to jail for weed. I've seen people smoking pot walking past cops.

[QUOTE=Foghat]I was in Recoleta Park and there were some Portenos passing a joint arround. I was tempted to ask for a hit. But my fear of the police kempt me from getting a hit or two. Dos anyone know what the laws are for getting busted for smoking pot? For foriegners? Do you just pay the police off?[/QUOTE]

I remember a post or two in the past with specifics about bribing the cops here. I gotta tell ya, maybe it's easy and works every time, but I know I would be one nervous fucker that first time I slipped a note to a cop. All it would take would be one usually reliable variable going haywire and you are fucked and good. I would like to hear more anecdotal evidence on this practice, and definitely if somebody has had it blow up in their face. Plus, I wouldn't smoke a joint at the corner of Ayacucho and Alvear, whereas alot of other places may be no problem. You're a "pusher" Daddy! :D