When I attended the meeting held at the Lake Chapala Society to hear the concerns of lakeside residents regarding community safety, I was impressed by the large turnout. As I stood to be counted as a victim of a robbery while living lakeside, I was concerned by the large number of fellow victims.

My pre-retirement employment was in policing, where I was responsible for the security and well-being of Toronto, including Pearson Airport, the largest airport in Canada. For nearly 30 years I had investigated and been responsible for solving a wide variety of criminal activity. Yet I too had fallen victim here in Mexico to a crime that, when examined, could have been preventable. At the very least I was capable of creating a deterrent that would have turned the robbers away.

When the question was asked "how many are happy with the outcome of the police investigation", only one person stood. This contrasted starkly to the police comment that they solved about 60% of home robberies.

Toronto's police force is the third largest municipal or city police force in Canada. We had the enviable record of consistently having one of the top crimes-solved records. When we achieved 40% crime-solving for home robberies, we were very proud of our accomplishments. These figures were supported by the number of people incarcerated for these crimes.

What do these opposing figures between Mexico and Canada really say? That crime statistics, rather than being totally objective, can be manipulated to paint a more pleasant scene than really exists. The true proof of effective policing is "are the communities happy with the service they are getting?" If one answer contradicts the other, then something is out of balance.

The second issue is the police can't solve crime without the cooperation of the people within their jurisdiction. How is this done?

1. If a crime is not reported, it cannot be investigated.

2. People within the community are responsible for ensuring that their property is properly protected. I am not simply talking about locking devices.

3. A Community Watch Program where people lookout for each other could be initiated.

With this cooperation, what can police do to be more effective?

1. The number of crimes solved by quick police response or highly visible patrol is minimal. The police have to be within the community. Police on bicycles because of their speed and stealth appear to be effective. Police in pairs with effective radios greatly increases apprehension. This personalized policing also develops interaction within the community.

2. The police or an intermediary group has to keep the community aware of the number, type, location, and pattern of the crimes that are occurring.

3. Crimes are solved by investigation. Criminals develop a style that they are comfortable with. They seldom commit a crime alone; they at least have a confederate nearby. Other than stolen cash, they have to have somewhere to get the cash for the items they steal. Criminals also like to brag to their friends about their accomplishments and choice locations. I know the police are very poorly paid and lacking in appropriate training, but they are the police and investigation is their responsibility. If you hired a gardener who allowed your garden to go to waste, you wouldn't keep him as a gardener. You may feel your voice cannot be heard. Then you have to speak louder and this can be done as a community.

4. When you buy something at a ridiculously low price, you can almost be ensured that this is stolen property. By making this purchase, you are just supporting the criminal community.

Here is what I am suggest as a starting point: accurate information on what is occurring criminally within the Lakeside communities has to be obtained. The current communities, Ajijic, San Antonio Tlayacapan, etc. are too large to be able to pinpoint crime. A quadrant system needs to be devised and residents made aware of what quadrant they reside in. When you report a crime to the police, make a second call to the Lake Chapala Society who will record your information. This information can be passed on to the community weekly or monthly through the LCS Newsletter or the LCS Website. The names of the victims are not important, but the general location is. The local newspapers or periodicals might be glad to offer this as a community service.

Also, this would be valuable information for the numerous real estate services who are bringing more and more people into our communities. Without feeling secure in a community, people will not come. This information would also let us know the depth of the problem. In the interim, get to know your neighbors--both expatriates and Mexican. This is where the strength lies.