Cancun is the number one destination not only in Mexico but in Latin America, and needless to say, when it comes to visitors' safety, local authorities take no chances.
They have consistently kept crime low in the resort city despite recent travel alerts.
Safety continues to be a concern for some Americans heading south of the border, but if the latest update from authorities is anything to go by, they'll probably be safer in the Caribbean hotspot than they are back home in the States, as Mexican President once stated himself.
Though Cancun is already well-guarded, a more robust security force is being brought in to help keep guests safe.
Not a few dozen, nor a couple hundred, but a whopping 2,300 officers.
A Record Number Of Officers Deployed To Cancun To Keep Tourists Safe
According to local authorities, as Cancun braces for yet another surge in tourist numbers, the Secretariat of Citizen Security will maintain a security force of 2,395 officers for the time being, distributed around key areas in the state of Quintana Roo.
Other than the Citizen Security service, the Secretariat of National Defense, the Secretariat of the Navy, the ‘Green Angels', and the National Guard are also participating in the new large-scale operation.
As the largest city in the state and its main tourist destination, Cancun is set to benefit the most from the ramp-up, especially as it heads into the summer period when bookings increase significantly as Americans contemplate their next sunny getaway abroad.
Police officers, marine guards, and big guns are no strange sight in Cancun, even on beaches, where patrolling has intensified year after year to keep zones frequented by tourists crime-free, and as unsettling a sight as they may be at times, it works.
For years now, Cancun has retained its Level 2 status, according to the U.S. State Department.
This means it is one of the safest resort cities in Mexico, where crime still exists, but remains ‘moderate‘, instead of somewhere Americans should avoid going altogether.
You may wonder, then, why over 2,300 officers are needed if Cancun is so safe and why they're being deployed now.
Why Is Security Being Added To Cancun?
While specifics have not been given as to why such police numbers are increasing this significantly, it may have something to do with the ongoing scrutiny Mexico faces from U.S. authorities, who are tougher on their southern neighbor than any other international destination.
Mexico is the only country to which Washington assigns safety levels based on states individually, as opposed to the entire territory, resulting in some parts of Mexico being classed as safe, such as Quintana Roo, and others not so safe, like Jalisco or Sinaloa.
This scrutiny has led to some criticism on Mexico's part numerous times, as they feel the advisories are sometimes harsher than warranted, but there's no denying it's helped American travelers better understand safety risks when visiting different states in their favorite holiday destination.
A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. issued one of its infamous alerts pointing to potential safety risks Americans are exposed to vacationing in Cancun, including violent crime (however sporadic it may be), petty theft, and scamming.
That being said, there's not been a single noteworthy incident involving American visitors in several months, if not years, excluding rare occasions where U.S. citizens involved in drug trafficking are targeted: once again, they're involved in crime.
Cancun Is Extremely Safe Already
As the State Department's advice for Cancun (and Quintana Roo) states, there's currently no warning against travel to the region, and Americans should simply exercise greater caution when visiting, mostly due to pickpocketing and other forms of non-violent crime.
In general, if you're staying in the Hotel Zone, where all of the most famous resorts, best-frequented beaches, and entertainment zones are centered, you have little, if anything, to worry about, as the so-dubbed Tourism Batallion is known to surveil these sites thoroughly.
Similarly, the latest force will provide permanent surveillance not only by land but also by sea and air, guaranteeing tourists are unharmed during their visit to the Mexican Caribbean, from hotel areas to beaches to cenotes to bus terminals to ferry terminals to bar districts.
Naturally, when walking the streets of Cancun, use common sense: don't flash valuable items in public, keep large amounts of money you may have in a safe at your hotel, and don't explore untouristy peripheral barrios by yourself.
Cancun is pretty safe, but it's best not to push it as crime can occur, as in any big city, including in the U.S.
However, with the latest security boost, it will likely feel even safer.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Kathy Carroll
Saturday 7th of December 2024
40 years ago, I was sitting in my rental Jeep at the curb, flashers on, waiting for my friend to come out of a Pharmacia when a policeman told me that I was "parking" illegally. He asked for my license and I refused. I argued that I wasn't parking, etc. Finally, someone who was likely a local resident told him that I wasn't going to fall for it, and he just wagged his finger at me.
It's still happening and this could have had a much worse outcome: I was on a tour and my flight from Cancun to Mexico City was leaving at 6 a.m. A driver at the Cancun hotel picked me up at 3:50 a.m. He had my name, helped with the suitcase, etc. We arrive at Terminal 4 of the airport and the driver worked really hard to get me as close to the entrance as possible (this will be important later) although I told him he could pull up further since I didn't mind walking. Helped me with my bag and I tipped him. I walked into the entrance near the Jet Blue check in area where a man in a uniform asked me which airline, I told him, and he said, "that's in Terminal 4 and this is Terminal 3" so asked him how to get to Terminal 4 and he said I couldn't walk, but I could take a shuttle. He escorted me out to a waiting van and got in front. They drove me in a circle, past Terminal 3 and as they were getting to Terminal 4, said that I could pay now. I noted that he was just taking me back to where I started and asked to see his official badge so I could take a photo. We argued back and forth about a badge and I said that I simply wasn't going to pay until I saw it. Now, this could have ended badly in a place like Mexico, I could have just paid the guy, but I'm a brazen old lady and I wasn't going to pay a guy for driving me in a circle. So he figured I wasn't giving in (and wasn't asleep enough), dropped me off at the AeroMexico entrance just a little further up from the JetBlue entrance (interesting, huh?), dropped off my bag and drove away. I got a photo of a transportation permit and the van. Only the police could read the license plate photo I took because they drove away so fast when they saw I was taking photos. It's not just police.
MizCricket
Friday 29th of March 2024
I remember back in 1994 my first trip to Cancun -- after landing and upon leaving Cancun's airport, sandbag bunkers along the road with Mexican Army troops with M-16 rifles on tripods aimed at passing cars. My first thought was "where in the hell have I come and what have I gotten myself into?" Unbeknownst to me there had been a protest at the airport 3-days before and the government sent troops to quell it. The other destination that was patrolled was the island of Isla Mujeres. The Mexican Navy had troops walking around with guns. It was very unsettling to me, not comforting.
Steve
Wednesday 27th of March 2024
Interesting. Considering most of the robberies I've heard of in the region were perpetrated by police I wonder if this will actually increase the amount of crime. Although I doubt this will be reported.
Tony N
Tuesday 26th of March 2024
That's good! Here in America have you recently seen a police car around?