Figures show fall in crimes in Mexico in 2013, but not kidnapping

The Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano, a private body that monitors crime and security trends in Mexico, revealed on 27 June that police figures for the first quarter of 2013 showed a drop in Mexico's "higher impact" crimes like homicides and violent robberies, but not kidnappings, which increased 16.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2013, presumably year-on-year. The report for the period January to the end of April 2013 was based on public complaints or reported crimes registered with the Public Security National System (Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública), a federal government agency. The Observatory's website cautioned however that the figures excluded unreported crimes. Its graphic summary of five "high-impact" crimes for the period January 2012-late April 2013 showed for example that while the average 17 extortions reported daily in the first quarter of 2013 were less than the 20 daily extortions reported over 2012, the figures likely represented just five per cent of all extortions. The Observatory's director Francisco Rivas gave the press on 27 June some of the report's highlights: kidnappings he said were the "high impact" crime that most increased in 16 months from January 2012 to the end of April 2013, rising 31.4 per cent. Homicides fell 13.8 per cent between January 2012 and the end of April 2013 and 10 per cent from January 2013, he said. In the first quarter of 2013, based on the official figures: reported extortions fell by 18.5 per cent, violent thefts by 3.6 per cent and car thefts 5.2 per cent. One of the country's most notorious kidnapping cases occurred on 26 May, when 12 or 13 youngsters were taken from an after-hours club in the capital's Zona Rosa district. These had yet to be found although authorities recently interrogated three suspects. The Zona Rosa is a neighbourhood of bars and restaurants, hitherto considered reasonably safe. The office of the chief prosecutor of Mexico City stated on 27 June that interrogations indicated the kidnapping was likely linked to a vendetta between two gangs of street dealers active locally, Proceso reported, citing agency reports. On 27 or 28 June, relatives of the disappeared and activists filled Tepito, the district of Mexico City where the 12 lived, with pictures of the kidnapped, perhaps hoping to jog memories or encourage residents to give information, Milenio reported. A reward equivalent to just over 770,000 USD was being offered to anyone providing information that would lead to the kidnapped, Milenio stated.