Residents feel slightly safer

About four out of every five residents said they feel unsafe in the city, according to new a national poll. Nevertheless, percentagewise, more people feel safe than was true a few months earlier.

The National Institute of Statistics and Geography released the results of its National Poll on Urban Public Safety. The report shows 78.3 percent of Mexicali residents felt unsafe in June, down from 81.1 percent in March.

According to the report, two-thirds of local residents witnessed or heard of a violent crime in their neighborhoods, and three out of every four reported having had issues with other residents.

The poll says 88 percent of respondents identified the poor state of streets as a community problem, and 63.5 percent had changed their daily routines for fear of becoming a victim.

Two-thirds of residents had ordered their children to avoid going out to the streets as well, the agency reported.

Less than half of respondents considered the local police department as effective in attacking crime.

Only 16.4 percent expressed trust in the municipal government to address the issue.

More than two out of every five residents said crime will remain the same within the next 12 months, and a quarter of residents are afraid it will get worse.