We’ve all seen the news reports of violence in the state of Guerrero and most people have heard about President Calderon’s campaign “Operation Safe Guerrero.” This program was implemented on October 11, 2011 and has seen success, but details about the plan remain murky to those outside of the state.

According to President Calderón, there are four aspects to the operation. The first will see increased federal forces cooperating with the local and state authorities. The second aspect involves purging, reconstruction, and professionalizing security and justice institutions, with the help of state and municipal authorities. The third aspect is the implementation of the “Safe Schools” program, which teaches children about violence, how to prevent it, and how to deal with violence if they find themselves in a bad situation. The final aspect involves the “reconstruction of the social fabric.” This will be accomplished mainly by providing more educational opportunities for youth.


Key successes for the Operation thus far include

• After the first month of being in action, Operation Safe Guerrero has seen a reduction in crime by about 60%.
• A major crime lord was detained and daily arrests of drug dealers and hustlers have been happening regularly.
• From October 8 to November 18, 136 people linked to criminal groups operating in Acapulco have been arrested or detained.
• The Federal Police has implemented an Anonymous Citizen Report System, similar to North America’s 911, and have received 111 crime-related reports in the first month and a half of its being active.
• As a part of the institutional examination program, the local, municipal, and federal governments have collaborated together to close seven establishments that didn’t meet their new strict criteria for operation.
• Road-side assistance has been implemented in popular tourist areas as well as an increased presence of the Federal Police, Army, and Armed Navy. These Federal forces are helping to conduct road-side assistance as well as monitoring these areas closely.
• Overall, murders within the area have decreased by 85% from the implementation of Operation Safe Guerrero.

Overall, it’s easy to see by all of the precautions that the Mexican government is taking that safety is a priority to everyone involved and that any potential threats to a visitor’s safety are taken seriously. With all of the precautions that are being taken, Acapulco is much safer than it was at the beginning of the year and the bookings are beginning to show it. Please feel free to contact ACTA if you have any other questions with regards to safety operations in the state of Guerrero.