According to Mexico's National Urban Public Security Survey, citizens' perception of insecurity in Mexico rose dramatically in Q3 2016, reaching its highest level in the last three years.
During September of this year, the survey revealed that 71.9% of Mexicans 18 years and above feel that living in their city is unsafe. This is the second highest figure in the survey's history and the highest since March 2014, when perception of insecurity reached an all time high of 72.4%.
The expectations of public security in Mexico's major cities have also deteriorated.
34.1% of those surveyed feel that over the next 12 months, crime rates in their cities will worsen, which is 4.3% higher compared to the same quarter in 2015.
35.8% of those surveyed believe that the crime rate in their cities will remain the same over the next 12 months, which is an 0.9% increased compared to the same quarter in 2015.
Of those surveyed, 69.9% have a negative outlook when it comes to safety in their cities, which is the highest number since the survey was launched in 2013.
A spike in public aggravated robbery, kidnappings and homicides such as the widely reported murder of the Spanish citizen María Villar Galaz, and a greater presence of criminal gangs have added to a general feeling that there is literally zero protection against these types of crimes in the country's major cities.
Dangerous cities. In September 2016, the cities where those 18 and above feel that living in there is unsafe are: Ecatepec in the State of Mexico, where 95.3% believe their city is unsafe; the eastern region of Mexico City, with 94.2%; Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, with 93.4%; Acapulco, Guerrero, with 93.3%; and Villahermosa, Tabasco, with 90.7%.
In contrast, the cities where the least amount of people believe that their city is unsafe are: Mérida, Yucatán, with 33.2%; Tepic, Nayarit, with 35.7%; San Francisco, Campeche, with 35.7%; Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, with 41.9%; and the city of Durango, with 33.2%.
In response to this increased perception of insecurity, six out of 10 adults said that they have made changes in their habits, such as not carrying jewelry, money or credit cards while out in public for fear of being robbed, not allowing their children to leave their homes while alone and not leaving their homes after dark.