Mexican city tells police to ignore sex in public
GUADALAJARA (AP) — It’s now less risky to get frisky — in public — in Guadalajara.
Mexico’s second-largest city has made it harder to police sexual activity in places like parks, alleys, entertainment venues and cars by ordering cops to look the other way most of the time.
Proponents say the change protects the publicly amorous from being shaken down by bribe-hungry officers, a common practice, while critics worry that it could encourage lewd acts in full view of people just going about their day.
Under the modification to the Policing and Good Government Code passed in August, public sexual acts continue to be an administrative offense, sanctioned by a fine or brief detention. The change is that officers can only intervene in such dalliances if they’ve received a specific complaint from a third party who feels uncomfortable.
“The only thing we added is that for police to detain that couple, a citizens’ request is required,” said Guadalupe Morfin, a city councilor who proposed the measure. She argued that it would discourage police corruption.
Stumbling across a couple having sex in public is not a daily occurrence in Guadalajara or elsewhere in Mexico, for that matter. However, many young people live with their parents into adulthood, have no privacy at home and don’t have the money to pay for by-thehour motels that are all over the place.
“Sometimes they’re not even having sex in public, just kissing. But (police) do it to get money,” said Andrea Quintana, a student in Guadalajara. “So I think it’s good that now they have to have proof that someone was really doing something bad to have to take them away,” Quintana said.