CHAPALA - Is the Lakeside area at risk of being swept up in Mexico’s drug war?
Why did my neighbor need witnesses and an interpreter to file a robbery complaint? What is the process for investigating and prosecuting crimes? Can the cops confiscate my car if I commit a traffic violation?
That’s a sampling of the sort of questions that English-speaking residents may raise at an open forum on safety and security issues planned for Tuesday, March 31, 3 p.m., at Chapala city hall.
The event is being coordinated by interim mayor Modesto Hernandez and the municipal government’s chief legal officer Oscar España, as part of an ongoing effort to boost public security through fruitful dialogue between citizens and local authorities.
The forum format will comprise two segments, starting with the introduction of local officials representing various state and municipal agencies, who will briefly explain their respective duties, responsibilities and jurisdictions. According to España, the panel will include spokesmen for Chapala’s Citizen Protection police department and municipal court, Jalisco’s SVT transit authority, Ministerio Publico public prosecutor’s office, the penal court and regional prison. He has also lined up several bilingual city hall employees to assist in simultaneous translation.
During the second part of the meeting, the officials will respond to written questions posed by members of the audience. It is recommended that such questions be phrased as simply and succinctly as possible to facilitate agile communication and allow discussion on a wide range of topics.
The local government has been encouraging citizen cooperation in crime prevention through a series of neighborhood meetings initiated last fall. The initiative has spawned a neighborhood watch program in central Chapala, a graffiti eradication project in Ajijic and most recently, the launch of art workshops, English classes and sports activities aimed at deterring delinquency through activities that boost skills and self-esteem among children and teens from underprivileged families.
Next week’s gathering will be the first of the citizen forums specifically designed to address the concerns of the community’s foreign residents.
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