Mexican public must act against crime, speakers say

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Mexico’s former head of security and anti-crime activists renewed their calls for the public to act against organized crime and rising street crime levels in Mexico.

María Elena Morera, president of the México Unido contra la Delincuencia (Mexico United Against Crime) Foundation, said Thursday during an interview with the La Cronica newspaper at a forum: ‘We have to be much more active -- it’s time to raise our guard. We’re many more [in number than the criminals]. We citizens who want to live in peace don’t have to be scared by these situations.’

Since a double-grenade attack in the city of Morelia, Michoacan, last week killed eight people and injured dozens more, much of the Mexican media’s attention has focused on whether authorities knew an attack was likely and then botched the investigation. Authorities here have pointed blame at the country’s powerful organized crime networks. But at least one gang has denied it was responsible.

Speakers at the safety forum emphasized the importance of the role of the Mexican public in reporting crime networks and people they know are engaged in kidnappings and other crimes, which are on the rise.

Alejandro Gertz Manero, rector of the Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City and a former federal public safety chief, said that because of the failings of Mexico’s law enforcement and justice system, civil society has to generate its own institutions for dealing with organized crime and delinquency.

He dismissed the citizen council scheme proposed by the organizers of August’s march against crime and approved by President Felipe Calderon, saying, ‘I’m talking about serious things!’

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City