Is There More Crime in La Paz?

Every year about this time, we get a letter or two from people in Mexico, almost always in La Paz, with some ominious-sounding news for cruisers about to head down. This month we got one from the skipper of Callisto. Because there are a number of Callistos, and because the letter wasn’t signed by the skipper, its credibility is immediately reduced. Nonetheless, the author wrote:

"This lovely city has experienced a major crime wave during the past year, with home invasions, robberies, muggings, and even police and security people taking part in routine pilfering. As for the boating community, if you can’t get into the crowded marinas and have to anchor in the bay, your boat is watched until it is unattended, then ransacked. Some 15 boats have been broken into this summer, some repeatedly. The city police are overwhelmed, and are playing the problem down. The problem we mariners faced is that we have no leverage – other than letting others know in advance. If those of you who don’t want your cruising dream cut short, bypass La Paz, and perhaps the city will eventually open their blind eyes."

As we say, we’ve received a number of such letters at this time of year several times before, but nonetheless made a few calls. What we heard is that there are many more people in La Paz than before, but that the crime rate hasn’t seemed to have risen disproportionately. And, in any event it’s less than in big American cities. The rules of common sense apply, of course. Don’t try to buy drugs, don’t go down a dark alley after you’ve been drinking, and don’t flash wealth.

As for the boats getting broken into out in the bay, it’s our understanding that many of them had been left on the hook unattended for long periods of time – if not the whole summer. With many hundreds of very low income workers being ferried out to the construction site on El Mogote each day, they can’t help but see the boats, many of which scream ‘nobody aboard’. That’s almost inviting mischief – or worse.

Bypass La Paz? We wouldn’t think of it. But if we had our boat on the hook, we’d work with buddyboaters and neighbors to always have someone keep an eye on things while we were ashore or away. Nonetheless, in the big world of cruising, we think all of Mexico is not just safe and relatively crime free, but very safe – for those who use common sense.