Crime in Mexico

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Crime in Mexico is among the most urgent concerns facing Mexico, as is the case for many Latin American countries. Mexico is important in drug trafficking, with cocaine, heroine, and marijuana transiting between Latin America and the United States. Drug trafficking has led to corruption, which has had effect on democracy in Mexico. Drug trafficking and organized crime have also been a major source of violent crime in Mexico.

Mexico has experienced increasingly high crime rates, especially in major urban centers. The great economic polarization in Mexico has stimulated criminal activitity in the lower socioeconomic strata that include a great proportion of the country's population. Crime in Mexico continues at high levels, and is repeatedly marked by violence, especially in Mexico City, Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, and the state of Sinaloa. Other metropolitan areas have lower, yet still serious, levels of crime. Low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to the high crime rate.

Mexico has also influenced crime in the United States, with problems including drugs, illegal immigration, and gangs. In recent years, cross-border cooperation has increased between law enforcement agencies in the United States and Mexico.

Crime rates

Crime Rates in Mexico per 100,000 inhabitants
1998 1999 2000
Total Crimes 1433.81 1439.41 1391.54
Murder 14.93 15.13 14.11
Murder with firearm 3.45 4.54 3.66
Assault 254.35 257.39 260.39
Aggravated assault 171.06 172.02 185.01
Rape 11.89 11.9 13.33
Theft 316.71 274.59 219.51
Larceny 148.35 108.09 100.18
Breaking and entering 145.8 153.56 142.53
Fraud 54.66 50.47 50.94
Drug offenses 20.62 23.97 24.65
Source: Seventh Survey, United Nations

Analysis of crime statistics in Mexico indicate that although the crime rate in Mexico has declined over the last 100 years, there has been a significant upswing within the last two decades led by Mexico City. [citation needed] Since many crimes in Mexico go unreported, the rates may be much higher than reported by the government. [1]

Rape is rarely reported or punished in Mexico, owing to old social norms, minor penalties for the crime, and criminal laws. In some rural areas, penalties for rape may consist of a few hours in jail, or minor fines. [2]

Assault and theft make up the vast majority of crimes in Mexico. While urban areas tend to have higher crimes rates, as is typical in most countries, the United States–Mexico border has also been a problem area. However, with increased awareness and resources, the crime rate along the border has declined faster than in the rest of Mexico. [3]

Narcotics

Mexico is important in drug trafficking, with cocaine, heroine, and marijuana transiting between Latin America and the United States. Drugs are also produced in Mexico, including significant amounts of opium poppy, and marijuana in the western Sierra Madre Mountains region. [4] Marijuana, crack cocaine, methamphetamines, and other drugs are increasingly consumed in Mexico, especially by youths in urban areas and northern parts of Mexico. [5]

Corruption

Extreme corruption in the Mexican police, Mexican judiciary, and Mexican government have contributed greatly to the crime problem. Corruption is a significant obstacle to achieving a stable democracy in Mexico. [6]

In the police force

The organization of police forces in Mexico is complex; each police force has a different level of jurisdiction and authority, and those levels often overlap. The Federal Judicial Police oversees the entire country, and there are several police organizations at the state, district, and city level. Since pay is generally poor (US$285-$400 per month), police officers are more likely to accept bribes to protect criminals or ignore crime entirely. [7]

Corruption plagues the various levels of police in Mexico, and is frequently difficult to track down and prosecute since police officers may be protected by district attorneys and other members of the judiciary. The problem is especially pronounced in border areas such as Tijuana, where police are engaged by drug traffickers to protect and enforce. [8]

In the judicary

A United Nations Special Rapporteur undertook a mission to Mexico in 2002 to investigate reports by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights that the judiciary and administration of law in Mexico was not independent. [9] During the course of his visit to a number of Mexican cities, the rapporteur observed that corruption in the judiciary had not improved. One of the principal issues is that while the Federal Mexican courts operate at a relatively high level, most citizens seek justice in the inadequate State courts. [9]

Additionally, the rapporteur expressed concerns about such issues as disorganization in the legal profession, difficulties and harrassment faced by lawyers, poor trial procedures, poor access to the justice system for indigenous peoples and minors, and lackluster investigation of many crimes. [9]

Crime in Mexico City

Mexico City's crime rate has begun rising again, after having previously peaked in the late 1990s. Mexico City's inner core has about 8 million people—about the same number as New York City. However, Mexico City's police force is only two-thirds the size of New York City's and is organized into several ill-co-ordinated forces. Policemen earn less than a quarter of their American counterparts, so many cops turn to corruption to augment their pay. And even in the rare cases where criminals do get caught, the courts are often too corrupt and inefficient to punish them. [10]

Influence of Mexico on crime in the United States

Mexico has a major influence on crime in the United States. [citation needed]

Narcotics

File:Cocaine bricks scorpion logo.jpg
Bricks of cocaine, a form in which it is commonly transported.

Mexico is the largest foreign supplier of marijuana and the second largest source of heroin for the American market. The majority of methamphetamines sold in the United States are made in Mexico, and Mexican-run meth labs that operate north of the border account for much of the remainder. [11] Mexican drug cartels are responsible for importing 60-70% of methamphetamine into the United States.

Mexican drug cartels also have ties to Columbian drug traffickers, and other international organized crime. The United Nations estimates that nearly 90% of cocaine sold in the United States originates in South America and is smuggled through Mexico. [4] These drug cartels use the United States-Mexico border as a conduit for drug trafficking. The United States is a lucrative market for drug trafficking and the Mexican drug cartels utilize Mexican-American gangs to distribute their narcotics. The Mexican mafia has close ties to Mexican organized crime syndicates.

Cooperation between Mexico and the United States

In 1996, Mexico changed its policy to allow extradition of Mexican citizens to the United States to face trial. [12] The Constitution of Mexico had forbidden its citizens to be extradited.

In 2005, the U.S. State Department defended efforts by the two countries to reduce violence and drug trafficking on the border following decisions by governors in Arizona and New Mexico to declare an emergency in their border counties. The two governors stated that the federal government's inability to control crime and violence related to illegal immigration had forced them to take matters into their own hands. The Mexican government criticized the emergency declarations. [13]

The state of Texas and the Mexican police officials had a conference in San Antonio to discuss ways of coordinating efforts to stop crime but there are questions about how sucessful the program will be. [14]

Many Mexican police officials on Mexican border towns have been targets of assasination by Mexican drug cartels, who have even threatened local law enforcement in the United States. [15]. Mexican drug cartels have even acquired equiptment like Mexican Army uniforms, Humvees,grenades and .50 calibre sniper rifles which can penetrate most light armour including armoured cars. The United States ambassador launched a formal complaint with the Mexican government on this issue.

Effects on tourism

A significant number of United States citizens visit Mexico; the U.S. State Department estimates it at 15 to 16 million per year. [16] Tourists visiting Mexico face a number of problems related to criminal activity, including:

  • Extortion by Mexican law enforcement and other officials.
  • Highway crime in which bandits prey on passenger vehicles and tour buses.
  • Kidnappings, particularly in border cities, Mexico City, and Chiapas. [16]
  • Taxi robberies and armed robbery.
  • Purse-snatching and pickpocketing.

Due to crime reaching a critical level in Mexico City and many other areas, tourism to Mexico has suffered. [17]

Efforts to combat crime in Mexico

President Vicente Fox took power in December 2000 promising to crack down on crime and improve a judicial system rife with corruption and ineptitude. Upon taking office, he established a new ministry of Security and Police, doubled the pay for police officers, and committed to other ethics reforms. [18] President Fox also cited drug trafficking and drug consumption as the top cross-border priority issue. [18]

During the first three years of Fox's government, the official number of reported kidnappings showed a slight decrease, from 505 in 2001 to 438 in 2003. Mexico's new Federal Investigation Agency (Procuraduria de Justicia) reported dismantling 48 kidnapping rings and saving 419 victims. [19]

Rudolph Giuliani in Mexico City

In January 2003, the security consulting company of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was hired by Mexican business leaders to come up with a plan to clean up the city, which has the second-highest crime rate in Latin America. [20]

Protest march against crime

In June 2004, at least a quarter of a million Mexicans marched through the capital and other cities to protest the failure of federal and local governments to control crime in one of the world's most crime-ridden countries. [21]

Federal forces at the border

In June 2005, the Mexican government deployed federal forces to three states to contain surging violence linked to organized crime. At a news conference in Mexico City, presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar told reporters that the new deployment was the result of evidence that organized crime has penetrated some local police departments. [22]

Technology in Tijuana

In response to a rise in violent crime in the region of Tijuana, considered one of the five most violent areas of Mexico by the U.S. State Department, mayor Jorge Hank Rhon deployed a massive technology update to the city's police force in February 2006. The technology includes surveillance equipment, handheld computers, and alarm systems. Since tourism is a staple of the economy in Tijuana, the mayor has tried to make reforms to highlight the safety of tourist areas.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mexico City crime rate rises sharply". AP/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 1997, December 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Jordan, Mary (2002, June 30). "In Mexico, an Unpunished Crime". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Orrenias, Pia M. and Coronado, Roberto (May/June 2003). "Falling Crime and Rising Border Enforcement: Is There a Connection?" (PDF). Southwest Economy. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b "Country profile - Mexico" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 2006-06-08.
  5. ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática (2002). Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones 2002 (PDF).
  6. ^ Bailey, John, Ph.D. (2000–2002). "The Mexico Project". Center for Latin American Studies, Georgetown University. Retrieved 2006-06-05. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: date format (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Mexico Police and Law Enforcement Organizations". Photius.
  8. ^ "Police Drug Corruption". Drugwar.com.
  9. ^ a b c "Civil and Political Rights: Independence of the Judiciary, Administration of Justice, and Impunity" (PDF). U.N. Commission on Human Rights.
  10. ^ "The very odd couple, Can Rudolph Giuliani make Mexico city safer?". The Economist. 2002, October 17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Contreras, Joseph. "Losing the Battle: A sharp spike in drug-related violence has some analysts worrying about the 'Colombianization' of Mexico". Newsweek International.
  12. ^ LaGesse, David (1996, March 29). "Mexico to allow extradition to U.S.". The Press Enterprise (Riverside, Ca.). {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Talhelm, Jennifer. "State Department defends U.S. and Mexico crime-fighting on border". San Diego Union-Tribune.
  14. ^ "Texas Attorney General - Press release archives".
  15. ^ "Murder money & Mexico". PBS.
  16. ^ a b Preston, Julia (1998, May 1). "State Department Warns of 'Critical Levels' of Crime in Mexico". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Tips for Travelers to Mexico". U.S. Department of State.
  18. ^ a b Sánchez, Marcela - host (2001, February 15). "Leaders of the Americas, Live online chat with Mexican President Vicente Fox". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Demonstrations against crime surge spread all over Latin America". Pravda. 2004, June 24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Giuliani targets Mexico crime wave". BBC. 2003, January 14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Huge march against crime wave". China Daily. 2004, June 28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "Mexico deploys federal forces against organized crime along border". KRISTV.COM. 2005, June 13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Other references

External links

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