What's the crime rate against Americans and other expats in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

The crime rate per capita here in Chapala and Ajijic is very low. The government has taken extra steps to assure the safety of the expat population simply because they generate so much revenue here for the immediate community and for the state.

 

I come from Chicago, where the crime rate is much higher but even there, I felt pretty safe.  It just depends on what areas you are frequenting. If you are looking for trouble, trouble will find you. Neither I...

The crime rate per capita here in Chapala and Ajijic is very low. The government has taken extra steps to assure the safety of the expat population simply because they generate so much revenue here for the immediate community and for the state.

 

I come from Chicago, where the crime rate is much higher but even there, I felt pretty safe.  It just depends on what areas you are frequenting. If you are looking for trouble, trouble will find you. Neither I nor the expats I know, or any of my patients have voiced any concern about feeling unsafe here or told me they were a victim of a crime. There may be petty crimes here but nobody has ever mentioned that they feel like their lives were in danger.

 

Here in Chapala and Ajijic, just like in any city, if you are taking public transportation, your purse is open, and you are a senior citizen, you are more likely to be targeted for petty crime than not. I think that is the same everywhere. I do not see the per capita per incidents of crime here to be more elevated than in Chicago, New York, Dallas, or Los Angeles. You just have to be careful wherever you go. If you are flaunting that you have cash, you are more likely to be a target than not.  

 

(A staff member taking care of an expat patient at Chapala Med, Chapala, Mexico pictured.)

In the area of Chapala and Ajijic, the crime rate in Chapala and Ajijic is next to none, especially considering that we are 45 minutes to an hour away from the second largest city in the country of Mexico, which is Guadalajara.  Most of the crimes here are petty crimes like break-ins every once in a while if you leave your house empty for some time and we have had car windows broken in on weekends when somebody leaves a purse inside the car. 

 

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In the area of Chapala and Ajijic, the crime rate in Chapala and Ajijic is next to none, especially considering that we are 45 minutes to an hour away from the second largest city in the country of Mexico, which is Guadalajara.  Most of the crimes here are petty crimes like break-ins every once in a while if you leave your house empty for some time and we have had car windows broken in on weekends when somebody leaves a purse inside the car. 

 

There have been crimes but most of them have been related to either drugs or personal vendettas. We don’t like to include those in the crime rate because, in these instances, there was a reason for the particular crime other than just the need of money. The crime rate in Chapala and Ajijic is as what you would expect in a small town in a developed country.

 

I lived in the US for more than 3 years and in comparison, the crime rate here in Chapala and Ajijic is less than the crime rate that you would find in the small towns in California like Stockton or Salinas. Expats are not singled-out for crimes here but their properties could be targets if nobody lives in the property for too long. If an expat doesn’t keep their gardener or their cleaning lady to come in and check their house when they’re away for long periods, their houses become more conspicuous for people who want to get things that don’t belong to them.

 

I live in the west area of the village of Ajijic.  Overall, I do not feel concerned at all about walking out at night on my own. Not now; not ever.

 

(House with enclosed car park and walled yard, Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

Robberies do happen in the area of Chapala and Ajijic. Instances I understand are higher when a house is left empty for a longer period as some expats return to their home towns for 6 months a year.  If you do leave town many people have someone enter the house twice a day to put lights on and off. Local crime statistics are published every week in the Guadalajara Reporter and on different web site at the Lake In general however it is pretty peaceful...

Robberies do happen in the area of Chapala and Ajijic. Instances I understand are higher when a house is left empty for a longer period as some expats return to their home towns for 6 months a year.  If you do leave town many people have someone enter the house twice a day to put lights on and off. Local crime statistics are published every week in the Guadalajara Reporter and on different web site at the Lake In general however it is pretty peaceful here.

  

I don’t think your chances of being robbed here are any higher than anywhere else in the world and probably are less so.  

 

(Taken from the from the Guadalajara Reporter,Tanya C. Anderson, United States Consul General in Guadalajara visiting Lake Chapala, pictured.)

There are about 45,000 expats in Chapala and Ajijic consistently and the murder rate would be one every 2 years so you could calculate that to be 2 per 100,000. Usually it is because of some sort or romantic involvement.  The crime rate here is low, definitely lower than in Southern California and most cities in the US.

 

Putting aside petty theft, expats are not singled out for crimes here in Chapala and Ajijic. They are less likely to be targeted for...

There are about 45,000 expats in Chapala and Ajijic consistently and the murder rate would be one every 2 years so you could calculate that to be 2 per 100,000. Usually it is because of some sort or romantic involvement.  The crime rate here is low, definitely lower than in Southern California and most cities in the US.

 

Putting aside petty theft, expats are not singled out for crimes here in Chapala and Ajijic. They are less likely to be targeted for crimes than the general Mexican population. Also, being that the Lakeside has an older crowd, they is less likely to be involved in things that attract negative attention such as drug dealing. 

 

If you leave your windows open and you have a brand new flat screen TV, you may attract a little bit of attention and thieves are opportunistic here as they are anywhere. Personally, I feel safer walking by myself in Chapala and Ajijic than if I were in San Diego. My kids are in the States for summer and I am more concerned about their safety there than here. Even in Guadalajara, which is a big city, you can walk around in the middle of the night downtown and not feel threatened whereas I wouldn’t walk around San Diego, which is America’s safest city supposedly. We do it all the time here. Even my friends who look like gringos walk around town at night without feeling threatened.

 

(Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Mexico, pictured.)

I know some expats who experienced robberies here in Chapala and Ajijic and a couple of them died. I think it happens more in Ajijic than in Chapala because there are more expats in Ajijic. I heard about one guy that was killed, as well as a couple in their house. It happened a couple of years ago. I haven’t heard of anything like that happening in Chapala.

 

In general, it is safe for an expat to live in Chapala and Ajijic. It is a matter of being...

I know some expats who experienced robberies here in Chapala and Ajijic and a couple of them died. I think it happens more in Ajijic than in Chapala because there are more expats in Ajijic. I heard about one guy that was killed, as well as a couple in their house. It happened a couple of years ago. I haven’t heard of anything like that happening in Chapala.

 

In general, it is safe for an expat to live in Chapala and Ajijic. It is a matter of being aware of your surroundings just like you would anywhere else. If you go to the store and you need to pay, don’t get out a bunch of money and count your bills right there because people can see you. Make sure that you don’t draw attention to yourself so that you are less of a target by bad people, which is the same thing anywhere else in the world. Take the money that you need and don’t show how much money you have with you. The other thing is if somebody is trying to pick a fight with you, don’t fight back. Just call the police and that’s it. Don’t make it personal. Don’t be by yourself at night. You really have to watch out for yourself as you would anywhere else in the world. 

 

When I was in Baltimore, Maryland, I was okay because I saw the security doing patrols everywhere. It is the same here. If you see something wrong or you see somebody around your house, just call the police and they will send a patrol and come to your house really quickly. They make sure that the expats here are safe and now the attention and the response of the authorities is quicker as the aim is to make the expats feel more welcome and at home here in Chapala and Ajijic.

 

(Candle lighting ceremony, Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

The crime rate against Americans and other expats in Chapala and Ajijic is no worse than any small town or city in North America. Crime is relative in my mind. There are a lot of naive outsiders that get taken advantage of. 

 

For example, at the market in Chapala and Ajijic, a naïve outsider gets charged more than a Mexican would for the same basket of fruits or vegetables. Some people wander around the streets looking dazed and people will help...

The crime rate against Americans and other expats in Chapala and Ajijic is no worse than any small town or city in North America. Crime is relative in my mind. There are a lot of naive outsiders that get taken advantage of. 

 

For example, at the market in Chapala and Ajijic, a naïve outsider gets charged more than a Mexican would for the same basket of fruits or vegetables. Some people wander around the streets looking dazed and people will help them do something that they could do themselves if they bothered to take the time to think about it. I'm not sure that's a crime, but in terms of cost of living, it costs you more when you have to fork out money just to get somebody to help you go to the doctor because you can't find where the doctor's office is on the street you're on.

 

The incidence of violent crime in Chapala and Ajijic is very, very low. Every once in a while there's some scandal; somebody is killed or maimed for some stupid reason, but the rate is very low. I would definitely feel safer walking around here in Chapala and Ajijic than I would in Calgary, Canada. My wife would, too, even at night.

 

(Market in Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

In general, the crime rate against Americans and other expats in Chapala and Ajijic is fairly low. The crime rate seems to ebb and flow depending on the prosperity of the times. There would be crimes like break and entry and sometimes it's because people haven't been careful, prudent, and cautious like locking their doors and windows. 

 

I have a client who told me that they had a desk fairly close to a window and the perpetrators cut a wire, broke...

In general, the crime rate against Americans and other expats in Chapala and Ajijic is fairly low. The crime rate seems to ebb and flow depending on the prosperity of the times. There would be crimes like break and entry and sometimes it's because people haven't been careful, prudent, and cautious like locking their doors and windows. 

 

I have a client who told me that they had a desk fairly close to a window and the perpetrators cut a wire, broke a branch, and pulled some stuff out.

 

Violent crime in Chapala and Ajijic is not very frequent. 

 

The crime rate in Chapala and Ajijic compared to the crime rate in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is not much different. Ajijic is a small village so I would compare the crime rate here to the crime rate of a small town outside Calgary. Most large cities have not so good areas, which Calgary has. I do not go out by myself at night in Calgary. 

 

In Chapala, I don't go out at night not because I'm afraid to go out at night here, but because I don't have good night vision and don't see very well. Furthermore, there are a lot of unexpected things on the sidewalk. There are hazards on the gutter like ramps to get to houses and people can get into personal accidents.  You can't be walking, gawking, and talking at the same time.  

 

(Peacocks walking the terrace at Hotel Villa Montecarlo, Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)