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Mexico Business Intelligence Report (September 2004)
Crime Trends in Mexico City:
The Good News:
The "Enough is Enough" March:
Approximately 500,000 residents marched on 27 June 2004 in a silent and non-partisan protest directed at all government officials regarding public frustration over the pervasive crime problem in Mexico City.
Comments:
- An impressive demonstration of citizen participation and probably the largest public demonstration in the city’s history – finally! There had been a march several years ago with similar objectives, but only a few thousand showed up.
- As a result, politicians are stumbling over each other trying to be responsive to this public outcry. Some are calling for substantive increases in budgets for public safety and better coordination between police jurisdictions of the Federal District and the State of Mexico.
- The initiative for judicial reform launched in March 2004 will almost certainly gain more support.
- The march was prompted in part by recent publicity over the murder of kidnap victims in two separate cases and a study purporting that Mexico experienced 3,000 kidnappings in 2003.
- The reality, however, suggests that although the kidnapping problem remains a serious problem, current trends do suggest an improvement:
a. Both the COPARMEX database, a Mexican Business Chamber, as well as the one from the Federal Secretariat of Public Safety on reported kidnappings in Mexico suggests a downward trend from +700 in 2001 to circa 500 in 2003 – still too many, but an improvement.
b. The Mexican Government has taken proactive measures to address the problem with the founding in late 2001 of Agencia Federal de Investigacion (AFI), which is providing professional guidance and assistance to kidnap victims and making progress in arresting professional kidnapping gangs.
c. Nevertheless, there remains the problem of attempting to extrapolate COPARMEX and SSP data on reported cases since it is well known that many cases are not reported to the authorities. Frankly, any “guesstimates” are nothing more than “black magic”, as nobody knows the actual number of cases, and speculation on the ultimate number is just that, speculation.
President Fox Responds:
- At a national TV and radio address President Fox committed his administration to confront the security problem and provide a progress report within 60 days. Two weeks later President Fox announced that an additional one billion pesos would be dedicated to public safety this year.
- President Fox also committed to requesting from the Mexican Congress a 100% increase in the budget for public safety in 2005. (Reforma, 2-14 July 2004)
Mexico City Police Respond:
- City Police Chief, Marcelo Ebrard, called for a 2.5 billion budget increase to reward those police who are fulfilling their responsibilities, and for the merger of preventative and investigative police. (Reforma, 30 June 2004)
- City Police also launched a $40 million peso program to reward citizens denouncing criminals in the city. Business chambers and companies are forming a trust fund to finance this program.
The Bad News:
Kidnaps for Ransom:
"Man on Fire", while a brutally realistic depiction of a kidnapping in Mexico City, one should bear in mind that Hollywood movies are primarily an entertainment medium and artistic expression at best. After all, the movie is based on a novel and story taking place in Italy, not Mexico.
Shopping Mall Kidnap Express:
You are approached at the mall, either by an appeal to your vanity by claiming to be part of a publicity campaign requesting you to take a photograph, or appealing to your compassion, in which a panic-stricken father asking for help with a child that isn’t breathing. In either case if you respond you are led outside the mall where you become a victim of a kidnap express!!! In other words, be wary of any approach by an unknown third party.
Kidnap Extorsion:
According to the City Attorney General’s Office, there have been over 300 cases this year of kidnap extorsion, primarily perpetrated by criminals calling from their jail cells!
Comments:
- "The dog that barks, doesn´t bite" – extorsionists are almost never members of a professional kidnap gang with the resources to carry out their threats.
- This is the time to seek the support of police authorities like AFI – telephone number 5346-2515.
- It is nevertheless a sobering reminder of our guidance on security preventative measures.
Latest Rollover Ratings:
We are often asked for our recommendations on vehicles to drive in Mexico City from a preventative security perspective. Thus this periodic update on rollover ratings of selective models of vehicles by the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration:
| VEHICLE | Chance of Rollover |
|---|---|
| Nissan Maxima | 10.7% |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 11.1% |
| Chrysler Pacifica 4X4 | 13.0% |
| Ford Focus | 14.0% |
| Ford Freestar Van | 14.7% |
| Nissan Murano 4X4 | 15.1% |
| Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 | 19.1% |
| Dodge Durango 4X4 | 19.1% |
| Ford Escape 4X4 | 20.9% |
| Jeep Liberty 4X4 | 21.9% |
| Ford Explorer 4X4 | 22.8% |
| Chevrolet Tahoe 4X4 | 26.3% |
Thanks for your attention, and please continue to send us your comments, critiques and experiences to improve and enrich subsequent issues to:
Media Contact
Jillian Bernaiche
(602) 889 - 1626