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Crime inside public transport, a challenge

To prevent the increase of violence in public transport, Mexico City and the state of Mexico should collaborate to create and implement strategies to fight crime

Criminals usually spend short periods of time in jail for their crimes - Photo: Jorge Dan Lopez/REUTERS
22/01/2019 |10:09
Redacción El Universal
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Robberies

in public transport are, in general, one of the first crimes committed by criminals when they begin their careers. They then move into other crimes such as robbing drivers, banks, homes, businesses , and other establishments; then they move towards other crimes including kidnap, extortion, and murder .

Today, EL UNIVERSAL reveals that in 2018, the robbing of public transport users in Mexico City increased 25%, compared to 2017. Mexico City's Attorney General's Office released statistics and other information and revealed that two out of the three municipalities, where this crime takes place the most, are the municipalities neighboring the state of Mexico .

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The criminals in each side of the neighboring areas scape into the other state, as the local police can't pursue them into the other state, even when they can ask for help from the police on the other municipality , as it doesn't always take place as quickly as it should.

The measures implemented a few years ago haven't been successful as they haven't been able to control that urban curse : panic buttons, operations that include the physical examination of the users, undercover cops, metal detectors , cameras inside the vehicles, which are installed by the owners who are fed up with crime, GPS to detect when vehicles take a different route, among many other measures.

On the other side, the desperation of not being safe and the constant threat towards their physical integrity and their belongings, as well as their distrust of the police , have encouraged the rise of the so-called “ anonymous avengers ” or “ vigilantes ”, characters that, for the sake of the rule of law , should have never have emerged.

To prevent the increase of violence in public transport , the Mexico City and state of Mexico governments, especially those of the neighboring municipalities , should collaborate to create and implement strategies to fight crime more efficiently .

The authorities in both states are beginning their new administrations. This is the best time to end the insecurity and crime climate that dominates large areas, to avoid more increases in crime levels .

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