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10/13/13 - According to a recent survey conducted by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI), well over half of Mexicans living in urban areas consider living in their respective cities to be unsafe, and have deliberately made adjustments to their routines in order to avoid being victims of crime. INEGI’s National Survey of Urban Public Security (Encuesta Nacional de Seguridad Pública Urbana, ENSU) found that 68% of those surveyed considered their cities to be unsafe, while 31.7% felt otherwise. The ENSU survey was conducted for the first time ever in September, and involved 2,336 homes among 32 Mexican cities with populations above 100,000, including all of the state capitols as well as Tijuana, Baja California; León, Guanajuato; Acapulco, Guerrero; Cancún, Quintana Roo; and the Federal District (Distrito Federal, DF). Published October 2, it replaces the Continuing Survey of Perception of Public Security (Encuesta Continua sobre la Percepción de la Seguridad Pública, ECOSEP), a survey that reported 57.8% of respondents expressing that crime was the greatest concern in 2012.

Moreover, most of those surveyed are not optimistic that the situation will improve. 36.8% said they believe that public security will remain the same or slightly worsen over the next 12 months, and 24% believe that it will worsen. Meanwhile, 18.4% believe it will remain the same or slightly improve, while just 18.8% believe that it will improve. Likewise, 66.7% consider police efforts to prevent and combat crime to be ineffective or largely ineffective, while just 32.8% view it as somewhat or very effective. INEGI found that these perceptions stem from direct contact with criminal behavior in respondents’ neighborhoods. 70.9% and 43% said they have witnessed alcohol consumption and illegal drug use in the streets, respectively; 66.2% have seen robberies or assaults; 56.1% have observed vandalism; 35.1% have witnessed gang activity; and 27% reported hearing frequent gunfire.

These perceptions of public security have led respondents to make changes to their daily routines to lessen their chances of becoming victims of crime. 64.5% of those responding to the survey reported making changes such as not wearing or carrying with them items of value such as jewelry, cash or credit cards, while 50% said that they avoid walking around their neighborhood after 8:00 p.m. 48.5% have limited their children’s permission to leave the house, and 35.3% said that public security concerns have impacted when and how often they visit friends and relatives.

Source...

I'll bet the number for Detroit would dwarf that 68%.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

I'll bet the number for Detroit would dwarf that 68%.

Is anyone left in Detroit to vote?

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Is anyone left in Detroit to vote?

Can't vote with a pistol in each hand.

I agree that probably the majority of people living in large, urban areas feel unsafe. It just seems that is where the world is going today. One notable exception would probably be Singapore. When I was there working you could walk the streets at three in the morning counting your money. I have never felt that safe in any other large city in the past three decades. You could make an argument for a heavy handed law enforcement response and punishment based on their model.

Even outside of the urban areas here on the peninsula it is much like what I call the last frontier of the old, wild west. Lots of good, decent, hard working people but thousands of square miles of open country for a very small number of law enforcement to patrol. The odds are simply not on their side.

So to help balance that we form strong, local community alliances, keep in constant communication and arm ourselves in the event any member of our community should become a victim. Law enforcement response is too far away to simply wait and do nothing while something is happening.

Not pretty, but a reality of life today.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

I agree that probably the majority of people living in large, urban areas feel unsafe. It just seems that is where the world is going today. One notable exception would probably be Singapore. When I was there working you could walk the streets at three in the morning counting your money. I have never felt that safe in any other large city in the past three decades. You could make an argument for a heavy handed law enforcement response and punishment based on their model.

Even outside of the urban areas here on the peninsula it is much like what I call the last frontier of the old, wild west. Lots of good, decent, hard working people but thousands of square miles of open country for a very small number of law enforcement to patrol. The odds are simply not on their side.

So to help balance that we form strong, local community alliances, keep in constant communication and arm ourselves in the event any member of our community should become a victim. Law enforcement response is too far away to simply wait and do nothing while something is happening.

Not pretty, but a reality of life today.

Let's hope it doesn't get to the point where the vigilantes are the best security we have.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Let's hope it doesn't get to the point where the vigilantes are the best security we have.

Vigilante groups are growing today, especially on the mainland. They have always existed here on the peninsula - they are just much lower profile and they don't patrol openly on the streets like you see now on the mainland today.

Ever wonder where many of the bodies come from, you see reported about down in the middle part of the peninsula? We hear many of the stories and they are quite believable. Many down here simply don't call the cops when dealing with what is known to be a repeat offender; they simply handle it themselves.

I can't tell you how many friends down here have told me that if we ever get into a jam again to NOT call the cops, but to call them instead. They will get here faster and they will simply make the problem go away...



.

That kind of friends are the ones you should value the most.
When my daughter's Mother was Murdered out of respect for the family I went to the funeral. Some of the old group was there, they were quite surprised to see me. and they told me thanks for coming but, you are not needed here go home we have this handled. and they did the guy never made it to his arraignment. he was found in his bed with a broken neck.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Vigilante groups are growing today, especially on the mainland. They have always existed here on the peninsula - they are just much lower profile and they don't patrol openly on the streets like you see now on the mainland today.

Ever wonder where many of the bodies come from, you see reported about down in the middle part of the peninsula? We hear many of the stories and they are quite believable. Many down here simply don't call the cops when dealing with what is known to be a repeat offender; they simply handle it themselves.

I can't tell you how many friends down here have told me that if we ever get into a jam again to NOT call the cops, but to call them instead. They will get here faster and they will simply make the problem go away...



.

If that is the way it is down your way these days, it's the way it is. No point sugar coating it. I suppose we should all be shocked and offended vigilantes will take a persons life without due process, but the legal process in Mexico isn't working at all. The result is the people in your community have found a (hopefully) temporary solution to the lack of security. So long as it gives you and your family peace and security- no one should be critical. They aren't in your boots.

When I was riding my motorycle in Copper canyon in March in a couple of the small hard to get to towns had AK47 toting locals that showed up when we rode into town, just to make sure we knew not to cause problems. So I guess they are taking the stand to protect themselves.