The role of visual markers in police victimization among structurally vulnerable persons in Tijuana, Mexico

Abstract

Background Law enforcement can shape HIV risk behaviours and undermine strategies aimed at curbing HIV infection. Little is known about factors that increase vulnerability to police victimization in Mexico. This study identifies correlates of police or army victimization (i.e., harassment or assault) in the past 6 months among patients seeking care at a free clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. Methods From January to May 2013, 601 patients attending a binational student-run free clinic completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Eligible participants were: (1) ≥18 years old; (2) seeking care at the clinic; and (3) spoke Spanish or English. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with police/army victimization in the past 6 months. Results More than one-third (38%) of participants reported victimization by police/army officials in the past 6 months in Tijuana. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, males (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 3.68; 95% CI: 2.19–6.19), tattooed persons (AOR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.04–2.33) and those who injected drugs in the past 6 months (AOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.29–3.43) were significantly more likely to report past 6-month police/army victimization. Recent feelings of rejection (AOR: 3.80; 95% CI: 2.47–5.85) and being denied employment (AOR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.50–3.32) were also independently associated with police/army victimization. Conclusion Structural interventions aimed at reducing stigma against vulnerable populations and increasing social incorporation may aid in reducing victimization events by police/army in Tijuana. Police education and training to reduce abusive policing practices may be warranted.

Deportation and mental health among migrants who inject drugs along the US–Mexico border

“…Thus, interventions aimed at improving the mental health of deported PWID may reduce HIV risk and transmission in this region. The collaborative care approach model, which integrates mental health services into primary care settings, has successfully increased access and utilization of mental health services and this strategy may be applied to this context, especially in clinics and other health and social service agencies that cater to deported migrants in Tijuana (Pinedo, Burgos, Ojeda, FitzGerald, & Ojeda, 2015; Pomerantz et al, 2010; Unützer, Harbin, & Druss, 2013). …”

“…A variable to account for past 6-month police victimization experiences was also created by combining affirmative responses to the following police encounters in the prior 6 months: asked for a bribe, had money or valuables confiscated, had legal identification documents confiscated, had syringes confiscated, was physically beaten (hit, punched, kicked), had belongings burned or destroyed, was forced to leave place of residency, and asked for a sexual favor to avoid arrest. These variables were chosen based on previous findings on adverse policing practices among vulnerable populations in Tijuana (Beletsky et al, 2013; Philbin et al, 2008; Pollini et al, 2008; Robertson et al, 2010; Strathdee et al, 2010; Strathdee, Lozada, Pollini, et al, 2008; Volkmann et al, 2011; Pinedo et al, 2015). …”

Depressive symptoms among patients at a clinic in the red light district of Tijuana, Mexico

“…Our study took place at a binational student-run free-clinic located in Tijuana, Mexico, <1 mile from the U.S.-Mexico border (Pinedo, Burgos, Vargas-Ojeda, FitzGerald, & Ojeda, 2014). Free services provided at the clinic every Saturday include primary care, pediatric care, women’s health services, sexually transmitted infection/HIV testing and treatment, tattoo removal, legal counseling, and assistance navigating health and social services in Tijuana.…”

Police Victimization Among Persons Who Inject Drugs Along the U.S.–Mexico Border

“…Tijuana's proximity to the United States and its economic opportunities have attracted internal migrants from poorer regions of Mexico and Central America; more than half (~52%) of Tijuana's residents are migrants (i.e., born outside the state of Baja California) (Fussell, 2004;Instituto Nacional de Migracion, 2013). Tijuana also has a prominent population of migrants, primarily men, who have been deported from the United States and have resettled in Tijuana (Pinedo et al, 2014b(Pinedo et al, , 2015; the city received~316,000 deported migrants between (Instituto Nacional de Migracion, 2011, 2013. Migrants are highly stigmatized in Tijuana, where they are perceived by the community as the cause of prevailing social problems, including increasing rates of crime and drug use (Infante et al, 2012;Pinedo et al, 2014a).…”

“…In Tijuana, a Mexican city that borders the United States, accounts of police victimization are widespread among PWID and have been linked to behaviors that increase susceptibility to HIV infection (Beletsky et al, 2012(Beletsky et al, , 2013Infante et al, 2012;Miller et al, 2008;Pinedo et al, 2014aPinedo et al, , 2015Pollini et al, 2008Pollini et al, , 2009Pollini et al, , 2010Strathdee et al, 2005Strathdee et al, , 2008bVolkmann et al, 2011). Community and problematic policing practices can operate as social-structural drivers of HIV infection (Blankenship & Koester, 2002;Miller et al, 2008;Sarang et al, 2010;Strathdee et al, 2008bStrathdee et al, , 2010.…”