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Originally Posted by Ronnie555
I'm not one of those "mexico is dangerous, I'm not going there!!," people but If I'm not mistaken isn't Guadalajara is a major epicenter of gang violence and cartel activity?
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Guadalajara is a very big city, so it is bound to have some organized crime. But on a relative scale I think the crime rate is not much different than an average American city. I would hardly call it an epicenter like Juarez or the cities in Sinaloa. The state department descriptions sound pretty bad, but more than likely you will spend most of your time on the West side of the city and not prowling the slums or the gay bars downtown. You are much less likely to be a victim of petty crime, and very unlikely to be a victim of violent crime.
Guadalajara is an urban area of 4.4 million. The easiest comparison in population is the US
urban areas which are different than metropolitan statistical area which includes distant suburbs and is a much bigger number. There are 10 urban areas with population over 4 million in the USA.
1 New York--Newark, NY—NJ--CT 18,351,295
2 Los Angeles--Long Beach--Anaheim, CA 12,150,996
3 Chicago--Gary, IL—IN 8,608,208
4 Miami, FL 5,502,379
5 Philadelphia, PA—NJ--DE—MD 5,441,567
6 Dallas--Fort Worth--Arlington, TX 5,121,892
7 Houston, TX 4,944,332
8 Washington, DC—VA--MD 4,586,770
9 Atlanta, GA 4,515,419
10 Boston, MA—NH--RI 4,181,019
As a general rule, Americans are not normally singled out as victims in Mexico. It is much more dangerous to be a Mexican citizen in Mexico. Most of the well organized gangs will steer clear of Americans as they end up bringing major heat on themselves. Most Mexicans, except the very well connected, are easier marks.
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STATE DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTIONS OF GUADALAJARA and TIJUANA (for comparison)
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Jalisco state has a homicide rate of 11.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, while Guadalajara’s rate is
10 per 100,000.
Guadalajara, home to 4.4 million people, is the second largest city in Mexico. Guadalajara has a well-earned Department of State crime (non-residential crime) rating of High-plus. Petty street crime -- like purse or jewelry snatching, pick-pocketing, and theft from vehicles -- is very common. Areas of the greatest concern include the downtown district at night and areas east of downtown. Violent crime, to include kidnapping, car-jacking and armed-robbery, occurs with some frequency. There were 112 bank robberies in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone in 2011. Narco-related violence remained steady throughout the year. In the last six months of 2011, the U.S. Consulate Guadalajara tracked an average of 117 total security-related incidents per month.
However, there is no evidence to indicate American citizens in Guadalajara face crime or safety concerns distinct from those of residents or tourists. American citizens are not targeted because they are American citizens. Anti-American sentiment is seldom expressed toward U.S. citizens, official or non-official. And, narco-related violence tends to occur in places less likely to attract American citizen residents or tourists.
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The security environment in
Tijuana remained unsettled in 2012, as violent crime and narcotic trafficking continued. Authorities have failed to prosecute numerous crimes, including murder and kidnapping, committed against American citizens. Visitors traveling in border areas have also been victims of armed robberies, sexual assaults, auto thefts, and kidnappings. Although there is no indication that U.S. citizens are being specifically targeted, they are frequent victims.
Crime Threats
While U.S. citizens not involved in criminal activities are generally not targeted, innocent bystanders are at risk from the increase in violence in the streets of border cities and nearby towns. Criminals normally operate in pairs or small groups and generally carry a knife or handgun in the commission of their crimes. Criminals select victims based on an appearance of vulnerability, prosperity, or inattentiveness. Within the consulate community, Mexican employees fall victim to crime far more frequently than do their American employee colleagues. However, U.S. Consulate staff members are not immune to the effects of local violence, as crimes have occurred within close proximity to Consulate residences.
Tijuana is a very large metropolitan city with an ever present and very real crime problem. Pickpockets and purse snatchers are common and mostly occur in large crowds, on public transportation, and at tourist attractions. The numbers of armed assaults and robberies have increased dramatically.
The homicide rate dropped from 27 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (or 418 total homicides) in 2011 to
21 per 100,000 inhabitants (or 332 total homicides) in 2012; however, homicide numbers increased in the nearby cities of Ensenada and Mexicali. Tijuana’s drop in homicides is widely attributed to a “truce” between Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs).
Crime victims, often those who are unaccompanied, have been raped, robbed of personal property, or abducted and then held while their credit cards were used at various businesses and Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).
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