From the NY Post

[e.bram]

"A former NYPD detective says he was robbed by Mexican cops in Cancun."
In his TS.

 

[fillde]

"A former NYPD detective says he was robbed by Mexican cops in Cancun."
In his TS.

Mexican cops rob Finest in Cancun

By LARRY CELONA

Last Updated: 2:42 AM, April 24, 2012

Posted: 12:46 AM, April 24, 2012













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A former NYPD detective says he was robbed by Mexican cops in Cancun.

Daniel Sprague, 42, of Staten Island, a retired member of the elite Emergency Service Unit, said he was at a timeshare with his wife and three young children earlier this month when he confronted a woman taking an unusual number of pictures of his kids swimming.

Security was called but the guards did nothing, he said.

Later, Sprague’s wife spotted the woman in an elevator and took a picture of her. Sprague said the woman then punched his wife in front of their children.

After Sprague interceded, the stranger accused him of hitting her.





Local cops took him into custody, but instead of taking him to a station house, they drove him around in circles, telling him how much trouble he was in and what it would take to make it go away.

“I was a cop in the worst neighborhoods, and I always came home,” Sprague said.

Now, he said, “I’m on vacation, and I’m wondering if I’m ever going to see my kids again.”

The Mexican officers knew he was a retired NYPD officer, he said, but couldn’t have cared less.

Sprague said he gave the cops $500 and was taken back to his hotel, only to be squeezed later by different cops who insisted the woman wanted to press charges. He had to give them another $1,000.

“When I was on the job, I never took anything from anybody.” Sprague said. “Here, everybody was taking my money.”


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/...n_cancun_9OB1A1ky78r4RmtwnUNiYJ#ixzz1sxkViZv1

 

[BoaterMike]

Is it just me or does this just seem a little strange?

Mike

 

[DeniseM]

Is it just me or does this just seem a little strange?

Mike

Strange - yes.

Unusual - no.

 

[pedro47]

A retired police officer @ 42. He must have ret'd with some type of service connected disability at that age. Must states requires you will needs to be 50 years old and have at least between 25-30 years of service. This is it what is required in the state of Virginia.for normal retirement.

 

[rpennisi]

A retired police officer @ 42. He must have ret'd with some type of service connected disability at that age. Must states requires you will needs to be 50 years old and have at least between 25-30 years of service. This is it what is required in the state of Virginia.for normal retirement.

No age requirement to retire, twenty years and then you can collect retirement.

 

[Passepartout]

Far be it for me to contradict as august a literary institution as The New York Post, but in the article, the former cop admits the he instituted the first confrontation of the woman he says was taking 'an unusual number of pictures of his kids swimming'. Maybe she was just photographing the pool area and his kids were in the photo area by random chance. Then he confronted her, starting an unfortunate chain of events. I wasn't there, and it's anyone's guess.

Cops- even 'former' ones have a way of irritating people. They ask questions that make people uncomfortable. In a place like Mexico, where people have lost their heads over sticking their noses into someone else's business, it just isn't a good idea.

I maintain that if you stick to the 'tourist areas', and mind your own business, Mexico is as safe as anywhere, including metropolitan areas of the USA.

Have an attitude, and well, not so much.

Jim

 

[DeniseM]

Jim - with the kidnapping that occurs in Mexico, I would intercede if a stranger was taking a number of pictures of my children - or return to the room immediately. You can't be too careful with little ones.

 

[Passepartout]

You can't be too careful with little ones.

Very true. In this case, the room would have been a great choice. Intercession is one thing. Confrontation is another, and has a way of escalating- as this situation did. J

 

[Sullco2]

Sounds like a macho NYC cop to me

If this retired (at 42!) cop had used his fellow police professionals to follow up on his suspicions instead of personally intervening, perhaps he would have had a better result.

While I understand the paranoia around children's safety, this family was in a place with security, no doubt. Should have gone through channels.

In general, cops in NYC have a sense of entitlement that gets them in big trouble. In the Dominican Republic, they have made quite a bad name for themselves in Sosua--coming down en masse to whore around and go crazy.

You can look it up. www.dr1.com

 

[DeniseM]

He did go to security:

Security was called but the guards did nothing, he said.

Did you see that the woman allegedly PUNCHED his wife?

Later, Sprague’s wife spotted the woman in an elevator and took a picture of her. Sprague said the woman then punched his wife in front of their children.

If the family's story is true, then I don't see how you can fault the father. If you don't believe the story, then that's something else entirely. I hope the post verified their facts.

 

[BoaterMike]

I hope the post verified their facts.

Unfortunately we'll never know. A few more facts would certainly help clarify.

Mike

 

[mikenk]

If the family's story is true, then I don't see how you can fault the father. If you don't believe the story, then that's something else entirely. I hope the post verified their facts.

Oh, I'm sure the newspaper verified the story - or as much as they could in the 10 minutes or so to get it in print or on the air. A liberal use of the word "allegedly" always covers their behind.

I suspect there is waaay more to this story that will never come out, and why should it. The newspaper is happy, the retired cop is happy with his ounce of fame, the alleged lady kidnaper / puncher has no say, nor do the two sets of Cancun extortionist cops. Most likely end of story.

Hopefully, the poor cop didn't also take the timeshare presentation and get duped out of thousands more.

Mike

 

[buceo]

Reads like a gossip column to me, but it is the NY Post so the shoe fits.
From Wikipedia:
Perhaps the most serious allegation against the Post is that it is willing to contort its news coverage to suit Murdoch's business needs, in particular that the paper has avoided reporting anything that is unflattering to the government of the People's Republic of China, where Murdoch has invested heavily in satellite television.[31]

 

[pacodemountainside]

A retired police officer @ 42. He must have ret'd with some type of service connected disability at that age. Must states requires you will needs to be 50 years old and have at least between 25-30 years of service. This is it what is required in the state of Virginia.for normal retirement.

Lived in Bedford Village, NY 27 long years and worked in NY and CT. Ex taught school there and was in old retirement system and yes it was very generous making retirement and collecting around 70%(full pension ) of FAS and great free health insurance for life at 55 a no brainer! Love Colorado! Go Rockies and Broncos!

Police program was much better! After 20 years out at 1/2 pay, but was based on last year salary. So during last year cops made lots of petty busts around quitting time and voluntered for overtime. Often they retired at more than their salary. Think they have now gone to 3 year average.

I would prefer getting the news from NY Times. The Post does tend to sensationalize!

 

[Phydeaux]

I think there’s a lot more to this story than has been shared.
#1. He’s walking around with $500 cash in his pocket? Really??
#2. A former LEO, and no mention of his contacting the U.S. Consulate?
#3. He hands over that amount of cash??? And his comment is what it is? A former cop??

The story smells. Not suggesting it didn’t happen – there’s plenty of missing details, imho.

 

[DeniseM]

I think there’s a lot more to this story than has been shared.
#1. He’s walking around with $500 cash in his pocket? Really??
#2. A former LEO, and no mention of his contacting the U.S. Consulate?
#3. He hands over that amount of cash??? And his comment is what it is? A former cop??

The story smells. Not suggesting it didn’t happen – there’s plenty of missing details, imho.

I don't find it odd to have $500 cash on vacation - especially in a country where American dollars are widely accepted.

Bribery is common in Mexico.

 

[mikenk]

I don't find it odd to have $500 cash on vacation - especially in a country where American dollars are widely accepted.

Bribery is common in Mexico.

Actually, it was $1,500; he had to shell out another $1000 to another set of cops.

 

[buceo]

By many accounts the police force in at least parts of MX has corrupt officers and they can and do sometimes try to shake down tourists for money.

However, by my recollection this post again comes from our repeat anti Mexican OP (I'll apologize and retract in advance if I recall wrong) and supported by our anti Mexico Timeshare admin (that I remember). It's mostly a lot of dribble. A full and accurate report might be interesting, but then again maybe not so likely it's a half baked article just to keep it "interesting".

One web site ran with this story and posted it with a picture of the Royal Sands, great reporting, thanks.

 

[Phydeaux]

I don't find it odd to have $500 cash on vacation - especially in a country where American dollars are widely accepted.

Bribery is common in Mexico.

Have to disagree. A retired cop walking around with $500 in cash in his pocket in Mexico sounds to me like a retired firefighter flipping a lit cigarette butt in the woods. Not saying it couldn’t happen – just very peculiar. As is his statement after forking over $1,500 of his money to a corrupt cop “Here, everybody was taking my money”. Very odd statement, given the circumstances..

 

[nazclk]

Call it what it is

BULL---T or maybe he didn't like Cancun

 

[ocean401]

Why is everyone saying that the cop had $500 on him? Is it that far out of the question that they brought him to an ATM?

 

[Phydeaux]

Why is everyone saying that the cop had $500 on him? Is it that far out of the question that they brought him to an ATM?

So in your opinion, Ocean, “Sprague said he gave the cops $500 and was taken back to his hotel…” is a much juicer piece of NY Post journalism than ‘Sprague was then driven to a remote ATM and forced to withdraw $500 cash, and turn it over to the Mexican police’.

Don’t you think the Post would have used something like the latter, if they could have?

As I said, the story smells.

 

[alfie]

Who was this mysterious woman who took the photos. She must have been an owner to get on site of the TS and in an elevator...I doubt if an owner would call the Mexican police, instead of her own security... If she was not an owner, then TS security should have taken her away immediately. Very odd indeed.

 

[Tia]

BIL has rented a car in Cancun when on ts stay at one of the Royals. He has said the police will stop you and expect a bribe for trumped up charges or threaten you go to jail.