SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The office of Baja California’s attorney general during a news conference Wednesday denied reports the city of Tijuana is on pace to break all-time records when it comes to crime.
According to a recent report issued by the city’s Citizens Security Council, the city of Tijuana has seen crime go up 20% compared to last year.
It says crime data provided by Mexico’s Office of Statistics was used to make its determinations.
The group also reports that compared with 2021, crime has gone up 31% in the city.
The Citizens Security Council went on to issue the following statistics showing crime in Tijuana is up in many areas:
Home robbery up 26%
Business robbery up 65%
Street assaults/muggings up 47%
Business extortion up 46%
Murders in Tijuana, through last week, were approaching 800 for the year, something Miguel Ángel Gaxiola, head of the Baja attorney general’s homicide division, doesn’t deny.
But he insists the crime rate and the number of homicides for this year are on par with last year.
“We are still seeing the same schemes, and believe me, it’s not gratifying to say we’re getting five to six murders per day,” Gaxiola said. “We’ll keep working to reinforce investigations and investigators to keep crime down.”
He told reporters on Wednesday the areas most prone to violence are in downtown Tijuana and the Otay area near the airport on the east side of the city.
But Roberto Quijano Sosa, head of the Citizen’s Security Council, says statistics don’t lie.
“The first quarter in 2024 saw a big increase in crime compared to other years,” he said. “Unfortunately this is shaping up to be the most violent year ever in Tijuana.”
Quijano Sosa also stated numbers show domestic violence is up 14%, while cybercrime and real-estate fraud are up 45%.
“Authorities will probably say the numbers are up because people feel more comfortable about reporting crime, that’s not it, the problem is that more crimes are being committed,” said Quijanao Sosa. “We are toward the bottom at the national level when it comes to security in spite of additional investment in police, and in spite of a heavier National Guard presence in the area, crime is worse today than it was 10 years ago.”
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