Penalties ramped up for harassment, road rage and public sex or urination

What used to get warnings and reprimands now can result in fines and jail

Merida, Yucatan — Harassing women in public can result in up to 36 hours behind bars, while road rage can garner fines up to 2,500 pesos, under new reforms.

Revisions to the Municipal Police and Good Government Regulation were announced Thursday by the president of the Commission of Public Safety and Traffic, Jesús Pérez Ballote.

Street harassment was specifically regulated in June 2003, but hasn’t been updated since then. The original punishment for a first-time offender was a written warning.

Additionally, another 2,500-peso fine goes to anyone caught urinating on the streets or public roads.

Sex in public, previously punished by a reprimand, can bring on a fine of 2,500 pesos and up to 36 hours in the lockup under the revisions.

The regulations, which serve as guidelines for municipal judges, could go into effect as soon as next week.

“This regulation empowers the acting judges of the municipality, who are responsible for providing sanctions in case any citizen commits an administrative fault, which are stipulated in the Regulation of Police and Good Government,” said Pérez Ballote.

Source: Sipse

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