Cancun tourist police filmed without body camera

Cancun, Quintana Roo — Tourist police officers in Cancun were caught on video conducting a traffic stop without wearing body cameras, raising fresh concerns about police accountability in the city’s hotel zone.

The video, recorded by a motorist, shows two municipal tourist police officers pulling over a driver with out-of-state license plates. As one officer approached the vehicle, he was not wearing a body camera. He quickly put one on after noticing he was being filmed.

According to Benito Juárez municipal police regulations, officers must wear body cameras during all interactions with the public.

“They get out of the patrol car without the camera and then put it on when they realize they are being recorded,” the affected driver said in the video.

After a brief argument, the officers left the scene and allowed the driver to continue.

Residents and motorists told local media that such incidents are common in Cancun’s hotel zone, where they allege police frequently stop drivers — especially those with out-of-state plates — and sometimes seek informal payments to resolve infractions.

“Not all drivers have the same means to deal with these situations,” one resident said. “In many cases, they end up with fines or arrests that feel arbitrary.”

Drivers identified Avenida José López Portillo and Avenida 20 de Noviembre as hotspots for frequent police checkpoints and alleged abuses. A citizen named Gilberto said, “At any point on this avenue, you can be stopped. It doesn’t matter the direction or the type of vehicle — there’s always a risk of a search.”

The incident comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Cancun’s police force. Since January, seven officers have been dismissed or suspended for misconduct, according to local authorities. In a separate case last week, tourist police officers were arrested for allegedly extorting tourists using a portable credit card terminal.

Residents also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of body cameras, saying they do not always record the full interaction, which undermines trust in police procedures.