Poor Baby |
One of the reasons I haven't been around is Paris. Poor little thing came down with an awful attack of seasonal allergies. So after several gentle baths she is now on apoquil, which they tell me has no side effects and can be stopped at any time. It seems to be working. I am also working on her jumping, which has to stop before her leg surgery. Speaking of surgery, I missed one of my scheduled skin surgeries because we were pulled over to secondaria... behind a woman who had bottles of booze and boxes of candy in her vehicle. Assuming they were looking for meth or precursor chemicals, but it took forever (apparently they did not make her drink from the bottles). So now I have several appointments crammed into the last two weeks of this month.
They say it is supposed to rain today and it might break this sticky heat, but I doubt it will wash the blood off the streets of Tijuana. No matter whose figures you look at, the numbers of "homicidios dolosos" (executions) put the city of Tijuana at an all time record breaking historical high. All of the Municipalities homidios doloso numbers are up, Rosarito Beach is a disaster as is Ensenada. We'll come back to look at how people are trying to protect themselves from Ensenada where neighborhoods are blocking off access to their streets at night without official permission to Mexicali where the Grupo Autodefensas are re-organizing, to people avoiding Rosarito Beach after two incidents within a little over a week of each other of public shootings in bars in the Rosarito Beach Tourist Zone and several dumped bodies along the wayside, and just nine days ago Rosario Mosso Castro of Zeta wrote that the violent conditions are worse than in 2008....when as you recall no one felt safe. I almost forgot to add that despite there being no market for real estate two new houses are in the process of being built in our neighborhood. One of my Mexican neighbors said: "Well, someone is in the laundromat business." I pretended as if I thought he was joking, and I did not want him to elaborate.
Here are two reports, I'll be adding more:
Zeta reports as of 07/31/2017 the month of July ended with 141 executions in Tijuana with a year to date total until 07/30/2017 in Tijuana alone at 908 assassinations:
Zeta - 07/31/17 12:22pm
Tijuana Registra 13 Asesinatos En Fin De Semana
Frontera - 08/02/17 7:41 am (The picture you see is the TIJ Municipal Police officer shot and killed in front of his home a couple days back, there has been an arrest in this case.)
Supera Tijuana Cifra Record de Homicidios
por, Luis Gerardo Andrade
UPDATE/edit: Zeta updates the figures to 141 executions during the month of July in Tijuana, then
YTD total 01/01/17 - 07/31/17 in Tijuana at 914 executions. As you can see, August is already off to six:
Zeta
Inicia Agosto Con Seis Muertos
You can go here to compare the yearly numbers, note July 2017 totals are not published yet:
Secretaria de Seguridad Publica Del Estado De Baja California
end edit.
More Reports:
Courtesy Zeta |
"Entre el 1 de enero y el 26 de julio de 2017, el reacomodo de narcotraficantes ha cobrado mil 137 vidas en homicidios violentos en Baja California:
* 844 en Tijuana.
* 92 en Ensenada.
* 90 en Mexicali.
* 48 en Rosarito.
* 23 en Tecate.
En Tijuana, según el subprocurador de Investigaciones Especiales, José María González, se han detenido a 90 homicidas, que si se tratara de un sicario por víctima, significaría una resolución del 10.18 por ciento de los casos, 1 de cada 10."
The following report from Zeta dated 07/31/17 breaks down the homicidios dolosos in the Municipalities from the beginning of the year until 07/26/17, so the numbers are less but you can get a fair idea of the substantial violence throughout Baja California. Not included are the woundings of people, men dressed as both Municipal Police and PEPos (in both cases these men were arrested but still...) robberies, extortions or kidnappings.
Importantly Zeta describes the FIVE CARTEL CELLS which have converged in Tijuana to control the drugs, and the high ranking capos in charge. Maps are included showing the killings in Tijuana and present territories of the cartels in Tijuana as of 07/26/17.
Zeta - 07/31/17
Rutas y Capos De La Droga
***************
More Reports: Rosarito Beach
Since the reported YTD numbers by Zeta, I am counting as of 08/04/17 four more homicidios dolosos in Rosarito Beach.
Francisco Garcia Burgess Presidente of the Fundacion Educando Conseguimos Paz, A.C. recently reported that based on population where the average number of murders is measured by the number of inhabitants, Rosarito Beach has 500% more homicides than the national average or a higher incidence in high impact crimes based on homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. He blames the Justice system where from 2016 to present there are 89% of homicides with no detainee. Or, only 11% of homicides committed have a detainee. Or, there is only a 10% chance that a person would be caught if they killed someone. The recommendations: that all three levels of government devote more resources to training police officers, an increase in the number of police officers and improved equipment.
Zeta - 07/24/17
Rosarito, con Major Incidencia en Homicidios
por, Isabel Mercado
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More Reports: Mexicali Autodefensas are re-grouping & In Ensenada another form of Autodefensas, they are blocking their streets:
Zeta - 07/24/17
Despues de la impunidad, la autodefensa
Zeta - 07/24/17
Ante el crimen, vecinos blindan colonias
por, Lorena Lamas
Paste Translation:
"Due to insecurity, citizens have taken action in the suburbs, either blocking streets or introducing closed-circuit systems to protect their heritage without the consent of municipal authorities; Do not seem to care about routine patrols or private security
After the rebound in crime statistics in the municipality, each family of the Villa Bonita fractionation contributed 700 pesos to buy high-tech security equipment, especially since they feel more vulnerable than ever to the provisions of the New Criminal Justice System (NSJP) .
Without giving notice to the Municipal Public Security Bureau, cells have been created inside the colonies to autodefend itself, acquiring video surveillance cameras, installing automated doors and road signs.
When asked to neighbors of the place on the program "Citizen Network for the Security", implemented by the Mayor Marco Novelo Osuna to lower the criminal indexes, all said they did not know it.
The initiative to close streets in Ensenada is of the settlers, who distrust of the police efficiency, reason why they have chosen to shield their colonies to the degree that the agents have restricted the access in certain schedule.
In the Modern, Modern West and San Marino colonies, they also cooperated to buy chains, steel anchors and road signs such as "Alto", "Do not pass", "Neighbors watching". And at night, in an organized way they seal the colony with padlocks.
Neighbors from different settlements agree with the businessmen, who say that agents do not reach the 911 or 089 calls for help and feed false alarm statistics.
And, as Fernanda said, a resident of San Marino who has been a victim of crime on several occasions, "one of the problems was that they never arrived (Police) when we called them, spent up to half an hour without being attended to and the Stalwarts by that time had already gone, or they stop them, but the next day they are already free and they rob us again. The truth is not necessary, better here we take care of ourselves, "he said.
Adopt great suburban crafts
This type of security systems that were only seen in luxury subdivisions like Cíbolas, Chapultepec or Colinas del Sauzal, now begins to be common in other places.
For those who live in Vista Hermosa, a fraction of social interest in the southeast of the city, it is preferable to pay for security cameras and automation of iron doors.
Two months after work began on the walls, they have not registered a single robbery inside their homes.
They are not interested in patrolling in their areas and have not consulted the corporation in charge of Emilio Camarena Castillo.
"For the safety and tranquility of our homes, we have to work," is the motto used by the residents of the private Villa Bonita, where most of the inhabitants are people who work.
Surveillance with security guards is no longer an alternative, as they do not trust private security companies.
"We trust in one (guard), but when it rests, who will supply it? No no! We better put equipment in to prevent them from stealing us, "said Ignacio Muñoz, one of the many neighborhood representatives at Vista Hermosa.
The cost of installing a security system for 40 families is 300 pesos each plus maintenance. Those wishing to have a remote control pay an extra 400 pesos, otherwise, they use the door using a key. Each house can request the number of controls you want.
Even with this control, neighbors have decided that the password will be changed periodically to avoid filtering among other people outside the community.
"What we want is to sleep in peace," argued one resident.
The representative of the private Bahía de la Paz, Ignacio Muñoz, commented that long ago began with the plan to restrict access, but until two months ago they joined to bring the money.
"Before people walked past unknown people, knocked on the door or were looking for things in the garbage, that is now over," said the citizen, while acknowledging that he feels more relaxed in his home.
They do not manage bonanza, but scarcity
The coordinator of the Transit and Transport Security Commission, Iván Duarte Córdova, lamented that Public Safety is an institution that has been overtaken to provide the service for what was designed, "that's why it praises the way communities organize to face the Insecurity, "he said.
For the mayor, the corporation in Ensenada suffers the natural clash of a government in crisis.
"We started to have a strategic thinking of 'we have a little bit, what we do with that', and it is that they have been so much waste, ineptitude and corruption, where the inept - the one who does not know - like the evil one, are just as dangerous," he criticized .
For some years, governments have been looking for ways to "kick" the debt, resulting in outdated institutions in which the budget is not enough for security, education and sport.
He added that the Director of Security, Emilio Camarena, accumulated calls to appear in the full Town Council, because he wants to know the actions carried out by the management in matters of criminal "daily" crime, which is increasing and, although it is Robberies on a smaller scale, inhibit the sense of peace among the inhabitants.
"Do not lose sight of the fact that insecurity is a sensation, violent crimes can happen, but it is up to the city and the authorities that the inhabitants feel calm," Duarte said.
Another factor is the presentation of a security plan for the municipality, which is an obligation on the part of the director of Municipal Public Security and the mayor, however, seven months after he started his administration, Marco Novelo has not shown anything.
"It's not about having more Police, nor an agent in every corner, much less a complete army for us, but to know strategically where we are going to place them and at what hours," he added.
The statistics
Low- and high-impact crime in Ensenada has reached historic numbers, mainly in homicides (85 people killed by June 20).
In recent days, the City of Ensenada has launched a citizen network or proximity police program, which seeks to reduce the incidence of crime through neighborhood committees in 500 colonies.
The statistics of the Public Safety Citizen's Council of Baja California, shows until May that a thousand 091 vehicles have been stolen in 2017, that is, 411 more compared to the first five months of 2016.
In relation to homicides, the increase in the same month, but of 2014, was of only 21 murders; The same date of 2015, totaled 24; In 2016 also 24; And in 2017 it tripled, with 69 violent deaths. Until the end of July, it surpasses 90 murders.
The thefts in house room lowered of thousand 025 that were denounced until May of 2016, to 731 so far this year; However, the feeling of insecurity in this type of robbery remains. In trade, it increased from 228 to 309 thefts compared to last year.
Juan Manuel Hernández Niebla, president of the Public Security Citizen Council, cited governments in the United States, where, despite the mayor in charge, police chiefs and prosecutors are not dismissed by each government.
In his opinion, security has to be citizenship with a long-term sustainable plan of policies, where it is not the mayors or the governments who solve the problem every period.
"Yes, there in the United States governors come, governors go, and why the Baja Californians can not bet on a model of sustainability in the long term; The only way we are going to achieve it is by citizenisation of security, "said the public safety officer in Baja California.
In conclusion, he considered that the fact that citizens take charge of security in the colonies is an advantage, as long as the authority solves a criminal problem."
As you can see, everyone seems to be looking over their shoulders and for good reasons.
I cannot stand this weather and like many other gringos and Mexicans alike here, we just want to leave because nothing seems to be improving and there is really nothing living here as Americans that we can do about it. Further, I don't believe Americans generally speaking are even paying attention to the conditions in Mexico and they should be. The USA is literally falling apart at the seams (more on this next blog), Ireland sounds good ... right, keep dreamin. I'll be back with more Manic Maniac Trump reports in between giving Paris her baths, etc.
Meanwhile, you know where to go....
The Intercept
Democracy Now !
More on the sidebar.....