Mexicali Public Safety Director resigns

Staff report

MEXICALI — Public Safety Director José Ramírez Cardozo resigned on Thursday, few days after media outlets made public his conviction for sexual harassment and abuse of trust while on the military.
In a press release, the city government announced his departure after just 82 days from becoming the state’s capital Chief of Police.

Ramírez Cardozo, a retired General, was convicted by Mexico’s military justice system for sexual harassment and abuse of trust in 1997, after a group of soldiers filed a complaint against him.
The Director was then in prison for 3-and-a-half months, and was ordered to pay a fine.

After this part of his background was unveiled, opposition councilmen in Mexicali City Council gave Ramírez Cardozo an informal vote of no confidence.

During a recent press conference, Director Cardozo said the accusations were something “not unnormal” in Mexican military.

Baja California PRI state leader Nancy Sánchez asked for Cardozo’s resignation.
Otherwise, she added, Mexicali Mayor Jaime Díaz Ochoa was obligated to asked for his departure from the Department.

Mexican law requires all members of law enforcement agencies, from officers to top officials, to have a background check, which includes polygraph test.

According to the State’s Public Safety Secretariat, the agency in charge of making this tests, Ramírez Cardozo approved all of them.

However, the agency explained, Ramírez Cardozo was given approval to become the Chief of Police due to the fact that his conviction was within the military and not on the civil and penal systems.

During his tenure, Ramírez Cardozo did not have a good relationship with reporters.

Recently, he asked a journalist to stop asking questions, because according to Ramirez Cardozo the reporter already had his chance to participate in an interview with media representatives.