The number of kidnappings and instances of violent crime reported in the first half of 2011 in Mexico has increased compared to 2010, according to recently released government statistics.
Between January and June 2011 a total of 692 kidnappings were reported in Mexico, representing an increase of six percent from the same period last year, when 652 kidnappings were registered. According to Excelsior, the statistics were compiled by the Secretary General of National Public Safety, known by its acronym SESNSP.
Homicide and robbery saw similar rises, while the only “high impact” crime that saw a drop in 2011 is extortion, the agency report says.
The northwestern state of Chihuahua, where 87 kidnappings were reported in the first half of this year, is still regarded as the most insecure of Mexico’s 32 states. The western state of Michoacan registered the country's second-highest kidnapping rate, with 70 cases reported so far this year.
A study recently released to Mexico's lower house in Congress found that kidnappings have increased 317 percent since President Felipe Calderon took office.
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