Improvement in Acapulco’s Security Announced

(Acapulco, NA 6 July) The state director of public safety, Ramón Almonte Borja, said yesterday that in the last three months the level of insecurity in Acapulco has been reduced. As an indicator, the number of auto thefts has been cut by more than half, from 25 per day to 10. He attributed the reduction to the close coordination between the three levels of government and the special efforts by the Army and Navy against organized crime. “The crime rate has dropped, and we are going to keep working to eradicate it totally,” he said.

The director also stated that Guerrero has faced problems of families being displaced, school dropouts, and business closings, and for that reason the Army and Navy forces will remain in Guerrero, but the area should not be considered a “hot zone” for crime. The area of greatest concern in the state is Tierra Caliente, near the border with Michoacán, where the military are still engaged in peace-keeping efforts against criminal groups focused on the production of illegal crops.