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Summer is known to be a great time to visit Cancun if you want to spend your days at beautiful beaches with smaller crowds.
According to a local government official, this summer, safer beaches are yet another reason to plan a visit.
According to the Benito Juárez Municipal Secretary of Citizen Security, José Pablo Mathey Cruz, the number of detainees in the Cancun Hotel Zone has decreased over the summer season.
Secretary Mathey Cruz said that they are currently arresting six or seven people per day in the hotel zone, a number he considers to be very small compared to other seasons.
The comments came after local media asked about a recent quarrel in Playa del Niño that resulted in the arrests of eight people.
Mathey Cruz attributes the decrease in arrests with beachgoers behaving well and enjoying their vacations.
Nevertheless, the Secretary of Citizen Security reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the rule of law throughout beach areas, saying that patrols will continue at the same rate as before.
Security has been a major topic of concern in Cancun.
Recently, a shooting inside of a hotel in the Cancun hotel zone resulted in the death of one Mexican national and received international media attention.
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Since the tourism boom this spring, national, state, and local governments have taken measures to combat the rise of violence in the Maya Riviera.
National Guard Deployed By National Government
This spring, the Mexican government faced a worsening security situation in the Riviera Maya at the peak tourism season.
In particular, a shooting outside of a high-profile hotel in the Cancun hotel zone resulted in the deaths of four Mexican nationals and was witnessed by international tourists.
In addition, a United States citizen was shot in the leg in Cancun while vacationing with his family.
As these stories made headlines in Mexico and abroad, the National Tourism Business Council (CNET) released a statement asking that the government take action to maintain order.
The organization wrote to the government, asking that it “ensure that the tourist destinations of the country be spaces of personal, social, and patrimonial security, so that the local population and the national and international tourists can visit.”
“The country and the tourism destinations should not and cannot continue living in an environment of violence and insecurity,” according to CNET.
With the busy Easter holiday approaching, Mexican Secretary of Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, presented the national government’s response.
He announced that the military would go to the beach cities throughout Mexico to take an active role in law enforcement.
More than 8,000 National Guard, Navy, and Army soldiers were stationed throughout the country.
Most of these troops were sent to patrol beach cities, but some were stationed at infrastructure points that are necessary for tourism, such as highways, airports, and bus stations.
Local Actions In Playa del Carmen and Tulum
National Guard troops were sent to Playa del Carmen in the spring, but they were called to Cancun not long after.
This summer, Municipal President Lili Campos Miranda requested their return, meeting with the Navy in hopes of signing a formal agreement for the city’s security.
In the meantime, President Campos Miranda announced that 20 security elements would be added to l existing law enforcement presence.
The request came after rates of violence increased in Playa del Carmen, affecting tourist areas and resulting in injuries and deaths of foreigners.
President Campos Miranda said she met with hotel and restaurant owners affected by the wave of violence to find the best solution possible.
In Tulum, additional National Guard troops were sent to Jaguar National Park to help maintain the parks integrity.
According to Inspector General of the National Guard Gabriel Bautista Tapia, authorities “detected people wishing to invade the diverse lands they find in the park to construct buildings. This will not be permitted since this is a protected reserve.”
As a result, National Guard troops currently play an active role in security operations in Jaguar National Park and the Tulum Archaeological Park.
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