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Cancun local authorities boasted for weeks that they would be undertaking a large security operation to ensure that tourists, and locals in the area could remain safe through the holiday season. Their efforts were largely concentrated on protecting the venues within the hotel zone, which unfortunately led to them loosening up their grip on other parts of town. Specifically, Cancun police has had a tough time securing the Cancun central area where restaurant owners reported that at least 7 spots were robbed over the last week.
Cancun Police Have Had Trouble Patrolling A Large Portion of The Cancun Downtown Region
It would seem that robbers have found a chink in the armor of the Cancun police. The 7 robberies that took place within the Cancun downtown area all occurred within a 6 mile radius that has become a bit of a blind spot for local police.
The streets of Bonampak, Nader, and Tulum are where most of these incidents have taken place. According to restaurant owners the robberies seem to be well thought out attacks. They claim that the hits were carried about by a local band of robbers that had scouted movement within the area for some time. They believe this because the robberies took place at specific times when the police were not patrolling the area.
Restaurant owners are now effectively taking matters into their own hands by hiring private security firms to watch over the facilities. The group of restaurant owners that hired these private security firms wants to at least ensure that their facilities are closely looked after for the next two weeks.
For restaurants in the Cancun downtown region these next two weeks are potentially their peak season. As most of the folks that head out to eat at these spots are locals. Many of these locals work in the tourism industry in venues in or near the hotel zone, after the peak season in the main hotel area they head out on the town and fill up most of the restaurants in the downtown area.
Local Police Have Committed To Suring Up Security Measures In The Downtown Area
With the arrival of the military personnel to ensure security in the hotel zone incidents throughout the holiday season in that area have been kept to a minimum. The problem for the downtown area seems to be that they have to rely only on local police for protection. The president of the Quintana Roo restaurant commission, Marcy Bezaleel Pacheco, claims that the commission has been in contact with the local police force. Cancun Police has committed to increasing the level of security in the area. They may be in a dilemma though, as most of the staff is tied up in the hotel zone.
Robbers Are Not The Only Thing That Restaurant Owners Have To Deal With
High tax rates are another issue that Cancun restaurant owners are having to deal with. Chetumal, the president of the local Union of Bars and Restaurants, asked gubernatorial candidates to ease up on the requirements that are in place to open and operate bars as well. He had a particular issue with the legal mandate that does not allow bars to open within 550 yards of a school, a park, a church, or a government office. He mentioned that finding a spot that met those requirements was nearly impossible, proposing to have the number reduced to about 220 yards.
The operating hours is another issue that bar owners want to see resolved. COVID restrictions cut down the number of hours that restaurants and bars were allowed to sell alcohol. Although these hours have since been expanded, some restaurant owners believe that the current operating hours are not enough. The union plans to press on this issue through the campaign season to see if changes to the local code can be made.
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