Visitors to Lima's Miraflores district -- and possibly other upscale districts -- may notice the Serenazgos.
This is a private blue-uniformed police-type force -- with vehicles but without weapons -- that stations vigilantes on many street corners in the Expat-friendly Miraflores district.
Reading about this group at the Economist website, one learns that the municipally-hired men and women on this security force are eyes and ears for the city's titular policía, able to bring the official cops in when trouble appears .. and supposed to call them in if the Serenazgo plans a raid on unlicensed clubs or whatever.
Evidently, the Serenazgos were brought in due to Lima budgetary problems and possibly corruption years ago .. and the double-policing system stuck.
The group has its own four-digit phone number, easily googled.
What experience have you had with the Serenazgos?
Besides Miraflores, are they active in other district(s) you know in Lima?
According to the Economist site, the Serenagos are active in other Peruvian cities as well.
cccmedia in Peru
Lima's Shadow Police Force
We have Serenazgos in our small town of Huarocondo, and I have seen them almost everywhere I have visited, from larger towns like Lima, Cusco and Arequipa, to smaller towns like Huarocondo, Lamay, and Lares, seems to me they are a common arm of law enforcement.
Late last night I was crossing famous John F. Kennedy cat park in Lima on foot, approaching the avenue known as Diagonal (dee-ah-goh-NAL). Subway sandwiches and McDonalds are on the block of the avenue toward which I was walking.
En route I noticed some of the Serenazgos positioned individually within about a block of the park and in the park itself.
Suddenly, a large man walked to, and stopped at, a spot about 15 feet in front of me directly in my path. In his hands were many small packets, the contents of which were not evident. The man was of average height, but super-chunky.
The big man said some possibly routine things to me as I stopped in place. I did not understand what he was saying .. and preferred not to engage with him given his aggressive body language.
I then saw several dark-uniformed officers behind him on the opposite side of Diagonal where I was headed. Perhaps they were members of Lima's shadow police force.
I held my right hand in the air and pointed at the gathered officers.
"¡Serenazgo!" I called out.
Hearing this, Chunko immediately walked away towards McDonalds, shaking his head as he moved on.
I noticed that the Serenazgos were now paying close attention to me as I successfully walked across Diagonal.
It is evident I had come upon a new word for my security verbal-arsenal, one especially useful if approached by an persistent or aggressive tout or salesman in the blocks around Kennedy Park near the infamous Pizzas Street.
cccmedia in Miraflores
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