How Safe is Tijuana?

[blucher]

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Crime in Mexico - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mexico has experienced increasingly high crime rates, especially in major urban centers. The country's great economic polarization has stimulated criminal activity in the lower socioeconomic strata, which include the majority of the country's population. Crime continues at high levels, and is repeatedly marked by violence, especially in the cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Ju?rez, and the states of Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Michoac?n. Other metropolitan areas have lower, yet still serious, levels of crime. Low apprehension and conviction rates contribute to the high crime rate.

Crime
From 2007 through 2010, Tijuana experienced an unusually high level of violent crime related to gang violence, in part derived from the Mexican drug war and human trafficking. Homicides peaked in 2010, when 844 people were killed,[19] compared to 355 in 2004[20] and 349 in the first eight months of 2011.[19] Reportedly, the wave of violence resulted from a turf war as the administration of President Felipe Calder?n weakened the local Arellano F?lix cartel; violence slowed when the larger Sinaloa cartel took control.[19]
During peak years of violent crime in the city, gun battles between rival cartels, and between cartels and the police, erupted in public. In April 2008, police found 1,500 shell casings on various streets after one battle left 13 suspected drug traffickers dead.[21] In 2009 and depending on the source, Tijuana Municipality experienced either 556 or 1,118 murders, mostly as a result of the drug war.[22][23]
In 2011, the crime wave appears to be subsiding, with levels returning to those prior to 2007. "While other parts of Mexico are hit by an increase in drugs violence, the beheadings and massacres familiar a few years ago are now rare in Tijuana, a key battleground on one of the most lucrative drug smuggling corridors to the United States."[19] As of 2011, "organized crime continues, not only drug trafficking but extortion, kidnapping, human smuggling and gun running." These crimes are consolidated under the Sinaloa Cartel.[19]

[mrhenodist]

Most of these opinions are very uninformed, Tijuana is a very safe place for you to visit, food, drinks and many activities await you south of the border, you can go further south to ensenada, rosarito, valle de guadalupe (which has been growing exponentially), anyhow, if you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to help you with them. Here's a recent article from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/di...pagewanted=all

Best would be to know someone to show you around, if you don't, try *********, great community full of people eager to show you around their hometown, including Tijuana of course.

[havasu]

Sorry, but reading an article about a chef trying to make a living in the now empty streets of Tijuana won't change my opinion about dangerous it is down there.

[allenjulia]

thanks for sharing your experience about tijuana

[Blank_doubt]

Originally Posted by tuxie

What is everybudys thoughts on how safe it is to cross the border and visit Tijuana? My wife and I drove up to San Diego from Edmonton Alberta planning to drive into Tijuana (half just so we could say that we drove from Canada to Mexico) and when we checked into a hotel in San Diego we had a Latin American guy tell us that it might be a bad idea to try. We appreciated the words of caution and did'nt mind because San Diego was our favourite city to visit on the whole trip.

Before anything, WELCOME TO CITYPROFILE!!

Just curious Mate, how does one "drive up" to a southern location from a northern location eh??

I grew up in suthin California (L.A. Co.) and went to TJ like once man, as a teenager with a Uncle and a brandy new Porshe 911we were delivering to a customer that never showed. We parked in some parking garage and surprisingly after a restaurant visit, returned to a unblemished vehicle and got in line to cross back in the U.S. That was in the '70s.

NEVER, EVER, EVER drive ones own vehicle into ANY PART OF MEXICO especially with Canadian plates!!!
It's a very good way to end up DEAD or worse, in one of their many lockups because of some "accident".

Walking across is the preferred method, yet as stated several times, DON'T VENTURE OFF THE BEATEN PATH.
Ditch the purse and wear valuables (Money) in a waist band or similar.

Last time I went there was '05 and I had to get a US Passport because I was on a business venture and had to pay 20-40$ first time in. I rode with a chap that directed me "where to go (do your best to get there) if the shyt hits the fan" and to call him from there. Ya, that was comforting.
The best part of being there then were the street shop food vendors.
Nothing can come close here in the U.S.

CHEERS!!