Mexicans did not report 90 per cent of crimes in 2011

Recent research by Mexico's state statistical agency revealed that over 90 per cent of crimes or offences were not reported to the police in 2011, essentially because people believed it would be a waste of time, Europa Press reported on 28 September. The 2012 poll Encuesta Nacional de Victimización y Percepción Sobre Seguridad Pública (Envipe) by the statistical agency INEGI revealed that 20.5 million crimes or offences were not reported and most people did not trust the police. Eighty three per cent of respondents believed the traffic police was "corrupt" and 71 per cent thought the same about municipal preventive police who deal with petty crime. More than 18 million Mexicans - about a quarter of the adult population - were victims of a crime or offence in 2011. Based on information given by victims who were poll participants, the most frequent crimes in 2011 were muggings on streets or on public transport (29 per cent), extortion (19 per cent), car theft (14 per cent), and fraud and threats (both eight per cent).