I live and have been building my house in colonia las mesas where I now own two lots(with the Bank of Nova Scotia) and considering purchasing a third as a buffer and to grow fruit trees. Does the municipal gov't have council members that represent specific areas in the municipality? I was warned years ago to stay clear of local politics.

Someone should've also warned you to stay clear of the partes altas of the anfiteatro.

No, there are no wards and no one in the municipal government to represent the different colonias. Each colonia has a presidente elected by the resident citizens with a voters credential. In my experience this has only served as window dressing to enhance their own political careers and the colonias have seen little representation of their interests with the exception of the invasions, the colonias irregulares.

thanks for the informative response. I agree that local cops on the beat would be a good start to get a handle at least on the petty crimes and provide some eyes and ears to investigate or maybe deter more formidable ones.

What role if any can a non citizen play to promote the idea of more local policing?

In simple terms, the best you can do is repeatedly express your concerns to the local government, hopefully in concert with other lodging operators. The tourists you attract have the purchasing power we need to help sustain the local population dependent on tourism.

If even after the recent murders of two municipal authorities the municipal government doesn't of its own volition step up the the plate then I'm afraid there's little anyone can do except the federal government. The local government is washing its hands of any responsibility and is already in campaign mode for the next election, the state government is in denial (and is overwhelmed), so that leaves few options. I've been in contact with our Senador Armando Ríos Piter who has expressed an interest in helping us as well as with the Presidencia de la República who has sent more federal police and military. But I feel like a lone voice crying out in the wilderness because no one wants to get involved. Apathy and distrust of the government are major hurdles for our citizens.

Several months ago I was invited by the municipal government to participate in a citizens' advisory committee to make recommendations regarding public security. To my knowledge the only meeting we've had was the one where the mayor got his photo taken for setting up the citizens' advisory committee. I believe we're all pretty much of the same mind that what is needed is simply for the government to do its job, but we refuse to be their scapegoat or to wear a bullseye for them. I've already stuck my neck out as far as I dare for my family's sake.

It even appears that it doesn't bother the municipal government if foreign tourists stop coming. It just means they can steal our properties at a cheaper value, kind of like the shady backroom deals that gave life to Cerro del Vigía and Punta Garrobo. And as if that weren't enough to drive property values down, a gigantic megaproject is taking off at the mouth of the Río Balsas in La Unión at the border with Michoacán, a Zona Económica Especial (ZEE) has been decreed where investors, mostly foreign it appears, don't have to pay taxes or really abide by any laws at all to develop whatever they like, purportedly tourism related. The stated purpose is of course to lift the region out of poverty by creating more jobs, but in this case what really happens is the jobs go to folks not from here while the folks from here have their lands expropriated like the local ejidatarios had done to them back in the early 70's and for which the Zihuatanejo Ejido is still fighting FONATUR to be reimbursed for the lands that were taken from them in Ixtapa. So whenever we discuss local problems we must remember there are interests who would just as soon run all the local landowners out, as was the original intent back when Ixtapa was decreed a Zona Integral Planificada (ZIP).

Developments such I mentioned are fine when there's a demand, but when there's not then the only beneficiaries are the construction companies, who often have close ties to politicians to pay back political favors if they aren't owned outright by someone in their family, and the politicians and influentials who ride their coattails. Yesterday's million dollar homes at Cerro del Vigía today can't find buyers today at almost half the price, and we already can't fill all the lodgings we have.

So far they've done a darn good job running plenty of locals out of here. Many of our former neighbors no longer live in the downtown area for all the obvious reasons. Some have moved to Ixtapa where there's a semblance of safety (though in actuality that's where some of the narco leaders live). Many have moved away for good.

The Partenón should serve as a permanent reminder that obscure interests not only reside in this country but often are part of the official apparatus. El Negro Durazo was only arrested years after he became an embarrassment that could no longer be tolerated or swept under the rug. In a similar example, Veracruzanos denounced their corrupt state governor for years, yet it wasn't until an arrest warrant was actually issued for their governor that he fled with the billions of pesos he stole. Amazing how he was apparently allowed to escape justice. Same with several other former governors. So while Mexico is making strides to deal with its problems, the stupid war on drugs drains so many resources and enables so much corruption that we really don't have a chance until stupidly banned recreational "drugs" are legalized and the playing field leveled.

Never a dull moment in paradise!

What role if any can a non citizen play to promote the idea of more local policing?

Being a north of the border person who may get to spend 6 solid months in and near Zihua, it occurred to me that in el centro at night, given the plethora of resources, municipal and estal policia, army and navy, that a small portion of this "protection" could be put on foot or motorcycle during the higher crime periods : evenings and weekends? It would seem less expensive and more effective . Maybe that is not the point of the multiple military and police vehicles I observed at 6:00pm on 12/7 between la ropa and el centro? I suspect the "bad guys" are able to text each other ahead of time as the check points are being set up.

They actually used to have professional-looking motorcycle cops. But they simply disappeared. I'm going to guess for lack of maintenance to the bikes, like every other vehicle. Instead of having their own vehicle maintenance department the ayuntamiento plays a little game of padding the facturas with private mechanics to skim money, which of course only works short term since the city quickly steals so much money there's none left to pay salaries or provide basic services. But I digress.

For years I've been proposing that the municipal cops beat the narcos at their own game since they also can use radios and move about by various means as well as take advantage of surveillance cameras. And being local they know the area and can walk among locals and position themselves strategically, even wear plain clothes if they like, and at least keep an eye on the downtown area. The idea being to build up a rapport with local residents and shop owners who can report suspicious people to them, such as the halcones who keep an eye out for the narco gangs. Because whizzing by a few times a day in their trucks just doesn't do a damn thing for public security. Local cops are the only ones who can uphold local laws. The state and federal cops don't have jurisdiction. They're window dressing except when they catch someone at a roadblock or simply driving along (very unlikely) or responding to a crime that has already taken place, in which case they're too late.

For the moment the local population perceives the police and the ayuntamiento to be in cahoots with the organized criminals. So there is a huge issue of trust to overcome.

But for starters I believe foot patrols downtown by municipal cops with radios are essential to establishing some trust and also reestablishing law and order.

And it doesn't help a damn thing that the city has allowed two fireworks stores to open recently. Local chisme has it that they belong to organized criminals. The last thing decent folks want to hear are explosions that sound like gunfire or grenades. Some clown thought it was a good idea to light off a petardo at 3:30 this morning in front of our home.

This is a multi-faceted issue that needs several solutions working together, but the fact that so far the municipal government has simply done nothing is unacceptable. They need to echar su granito de arena and supplement the work being done by the forces of the state and federal forces who are working together.

Great op-ed in today's Despertar de la Costa regarding the announcement about increased security for the upcoming Christmas Season. The gist being that public security shouldn't have seasonal solutions but rather integral ones that are constant year round until law and order are restored. You might think that's a no-brainer, but this is Guerrero where there has never been any semblance of law and order that anyone can recollect. Over 2,400 murders in the past year alone and over 400 disappearances, almost none of which have been solved and even less have seen anyone punished. Impunity is the norm. Just ask Frank Sheppard.

Being a north of the border person who may get to spend 6 solid months in and near Zihua, it occurred to me that in el centro at night, given the plethora of resources, municipal and estal policia, army and navy, that a small portion of this "protection" could be put on foot or motorcycle during the higher crime periods : evenings and weekends? It would seem less expensive and more effective . Maybe that is not the point of the multiple military and police vehicles I observed at 6:00pm on 12/7 between la ropa and el centro? I suspect the "bad guys" are able to text each other ahead of time as the check points are being set up.

The bad guys are in stolen cars loaded with AK 47s driving around shooting at each other. I tend to think that a policeman on foot would be of no use. Of course the truckloads of policia don't show up until they are sure the bad guys are gone so. . .