Is anyone concerned about this spreading to Cozumel?

[darook]

I watched this tonight and was surprised how much violence there is in Cancun now. I know in the context of the number of visitors Cancun receives it is not large, but a look at what has happened tomthe resort cities on the West coast is frightening. I’m hopeful it does not ruin Cancun, spread to PDC then cross the channel.

 

[Dogbowl]

I watched this tonight and was surprised how much violence there is in Cancun now. I know in the context of the number of visitors Cancun receives it is not large, but a look at what has happened tomthe resort cities on the West coast is frightening. I’m hopeful it does not ruin Cancun, spread to PDC then cross the channel.

]

This issue was recently discussed here: Travel Warning for MX

The documentary really makes it real though.

 

[Vic K]

I watched this tonight and was surprised how much violence there is in Cancun now. I know in the context of the number of visitors Cancun receives it is not large, but a look at what has happened tomthe resort cities on the West coast is frightening. I’m hopeful it does not ruin Cancun, spread to PDC then cross the channel.

Thank you for sharing. Very informative

 

[ggunn]

The world is not a safe place. Diving is all about risk management, and so is traveling.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I too am a bit worried but there are several factors that make it less likely in Cozumel.

First, being an island it is pretty difficult to do anything bad and get away. Bad happens— they (Federales) guard the airport and ferry to check everyone. Not possible in Cancun or Acapulco.

Secondly the local population is comparatively small and almost all live off the tourist trade. I am positive that if a bad person is in the midst, the locals could point them out in an anonymous way…and would do so certainly. They all know what happened to the tourism jobs in Acapulco.

Third, gun laws are strictly enforced here and any bad guy found with a powerful weapon would spend lots of time in an unpleasant place. Largest pistol that is legal, but very difficult to get legally is a .380 (ladies gun). Shotguns are in the same category as are bolt action rifles with long barrels. NO SEMI AUTOMATICS.

I have heard of one extortion attempt of a small hotel in Cozumel but nothing ever happened. I suppose it might have been some idiot trying to sound like a Zeta to make some easy money.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[tkaelin]

Wow. Shocking. If the gangs and violence are in Cancun, Coz is not far behind. Yes the world is dangerous but why chose to go to dangerous places to dive when there are less so dangerous places equally beautiful and with wonderful diving.

 

[darook]

The island defense is working for Roatan where the local islanders avoid the mainland at all cost due to the danger. If the cartels ruin the mainland side of QR then Cozumel will become increasingly isolated. Options like the bag drag would become unattractive or even downright dangerous. As Cancun is a huge economic engine for the country you would think that the government would get more aggressive in dealing with the issue but so far they haven't shown much success. The model shown in the video of the locals taking justice into their own hands may be the only option that works.

 

[Dogbowl]

The island defense is working for Roatan where the local islanders avoid the mainland at all cost due to the danger. If the cartels ruin the mainland side of QR then Cozumel will become increasingly isolated. Options like the bag drag would become unattractive or even downright dangerous. As Cancun is a huge economic engine for the country you would think that the government would get more aggressive in dealing with the issue but so far they haven't shown much success. The model shown in the video of the locals taking justice into their own hands may be the only option that works.

That’s a slippery slope as well, as mentioned by the host of that documentary.I hope the government does something more concrete.

While having a drink on 5th/Constituentes in Playa several months ago (mid-afternoon), I witnessed significant army(Federales?) and police presence. Truckloads (6 or 7) of soldiers armed with rifles and police officers. They just parked and got out and stood around that intersection, looking serious. I thought there was gonna be a gangland shootout or something but nothing happened. Then an army truck showed up with a machine gun on top. I thought it was about time to go back to my hotel. It might’ve been just a show of force though. I don’t know.

 

[lionfish-eater]

I am a Cozaholic and try to just focus on the positive aspects.
I have not posted about violence and crime in Coz that I see in the news. However since someone else started this thread, I want to share some items from the news.

A common practice among gangs is to declare turf or a threat by hanging a sign, hand written on a bed sheet, called a narcomanta.
These are usually threats against the police, prosecutors, other gangs, etc. They are found almost weekly on the mainland and are confiscated by the police and taken seriously. About a month or two ago, one was hung in Coz. I have never seen one, but I have seen gang graffiti in Coz on the backstreets. Here is the article about the narcomanta.


They pick up and hide "narcomanta"

COZUMEL, September 7 .- Probable narcomanta would have been secured by elements of the municipal police, where they allegedly refer to members of the corporation, ended up turning the fabric to the Attorney General's Office (PGR).
Sources inside the municipal police said that during the night of last Thursday was found a blanket on 7 South Street, without specifying the correct address.
The unofficial report says that this manta was carrying a message allegedly issued by people linked to narcomenudeo and in which the municipal police was mentioned, so that after being taken off, was transferred to the premises of the preventive police.
It was learned that this Friday morning, the head of the civic judges, Irene Novelo, was making the documentation to turn this blanket to the appropriate authority, although they did not know for sure whether to do it before the Attorney General of the State or before the PGR.
Finally they decided that the PGR would be the indicated instance and they appeared during the afternoon to deliver it and put it at the disposal of the ministerial authorities so that a research folder in the matter is opened.
The police have handled this case very tightly, and so far no one from the municipal government has come out to report anything about this alleged blanket, and all indications are that they will not, but the federal prosecutor's office is already working on the investigations.

 

[lionfish-eater]

There are many petty crime examples in the news on a regular basis. The police offices have been shot at and a patrol car was set on fire. Bales of weed and of coke wash ashore on a regular basis on the east coast. The beach road is closed at night and the morning patrol searches the coastline for drugs daily. Most transfers are done offshore.

In todays news, it is reported that the Animal Control Center was burglarized. Additionally, and of interest to divers, a building was shot at last night that belongs to a union of aquatic and underwater workers. Was it a threat against the union? I don't know anything about unions and non union competition in Coz, maybe a local can explain.


They loot the Animal Control Center




COZUMEL, November 18 .- They rob the Animal Control Center of the city, these facilities that were closed a few months ago after the sacrifice of dogs with distemper, thieves took computer equipment and other objects.
The facts were reported around 18:00 hours, when the headquarters of the Public Safety Directorate received the phone call, from Enrique Hilario Eb Martín, who is an inspector of the Animal Control Center (CCA) and Zoonoses located in the industrial zone, who warned that the doors of the facilities were open.
To the place arrived preventive policemen, who entered the place to investigate the facts and after having sealed off the place of the robbery, they interviewed Enrique and the other inspector, who responds to the name of Carlos Enrique Caceres Avilés, both announced that they came to leave to the freezer a dead dog.
However, when opening the padlock of the place, they realized that the padlock of the protective grate of the office was open as well as the wooden door of the warehouse was broken, and that without entering they realized that the office was not two computer equipment, as well as in the winery needed pressure washing equipment, so they decided to report to the municipal authorities, who requested the presence of the ministerial police.
It is worth mentioning that since the month of February when the death of the dogs was registered, it has been closed due to lack of personnel and because the mayor Perla Tun Pech, does not have the interest on the improvement of that area, so that the place functions as shelter of the stray dogs, however until the section in which the dogs were kept disappeared.

The backstory of the animal control issue is that a while back a number of feral dogs with distemper were euthanized and in an effort to not spread the germs they were incinerated which caused a big uproar.