A recent rash of home burglaries has got many expatriate residents wondering about the current status of the grassroots Community Safety Initiative, better known as CSI Chapala.
Attrition in the ranks and the October 1 change of administration at city hall has put the group’s activity into limbo, according the remaining steering committee members Linda Fossi and Aurora Michel.
The upshot of a series of meetings they have held with Mayor Joaquin Huerta and Police Department chief Ramon del Arco is that CSI representatives will be invited to sit on the municipality’s Public Security Council, a multidisciplinary government-citizen body that will address common interests on matters of crime and justice. The mayor recently stated that the council will be formally established within the next month.That will be a forum to tackle neighborhood watch and other cooperative programs suggested through CSI that have not panned out to date.
Meanwhile, by mutual consent between del Arco and CSI. the Crimestoppers anonymous tip hotline has been suspended. Analysis of the system showed it generated no significant intelligence and was simply not cost-effective.
In addition, the chief has deactivated the cell phones CSI provided for police patrols, explaining that under the operational structure he has in place, emergency calls are best channeled directly through two active 24-7 lines at police headquarters. (Numbers are listed in the related article above.)
According to Fossi, CSI is holding on to a balance of around 70,000 pesos in donations held in an investment accountant. The funds may be spent in the future on worthy projects that emerge from the security council.