Homicides in Medellin (2021): Good News in The City
Contrary to the belief of many, homicides in Medellin have fallen by 32% in 2021!
By Kaveh Paymayesh
Encouraging news! Medellin, the city under constant scrutiny for its suitability as a tourist-safe destination, met an impressive milestone this year. Homicides in Medellin have enjoyed a historic reduction of 32%.
This will come as good news to the sceptics. It’s easy to allow scary anecdotes and fear-mongering to skew our perception of somewhere. Medellin is certainly no stranger to this.
Post-death of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, Medellin has seen an excellent downswing in homicides. Regardless, there’s a stubborn reluctance to ease our apprehensions. There are still a lot of safety concerns that linger.
However, this encouraging figure is just one of many that can help calm the flames of Medellin’s violent past.
#MedellínSegura 👮🏻♀🚔
— Alcaldía de Medellín (@AlcaldiadeMed) December 16, 2021
¡Las cifras de seguridad en Medellín demuestran que vamos muy bien! Seguimos trabajando para que nuestra ciudadanía esté tranquila. Con orgullo decimos que #EstamosCumpliendo 💙.#MedellínFuturo 🚀 pic.twitter.com/7qARAAQllb
What the figures say (translated)
The figures for security in Medellin demonstrate that we are doing well! We continue working so that our citizens are tranquil. With pride we say that we are fulfilling #MedellinFuturo
In addition to this proclamation, there are more statistics shared within the Tweet:
Homicide Reduction
A historic reduction of homicides (32%). In 2021 there were 34% less homicides than in pre-pandemic 2019.
Non-consecutive Days
The city has experienced a total of 115 non-consecutive days without any homicides.
Intensive Care Units
Medellin has fortified their hospital network with 1,068 beds in their ICUs.
Protester Safety
During the nationwide protests of 2021, there was not a single recorded death in the city of Medellin.
How come homicides are decreasing?
These are the results of an administration that has prioritized security – a fundamental theme for the development of #MedellinFuturo.
As part of this commitment, the mayor of Medellin introduced incentives to prevent, detect and solve homicides in the city.
In February, the mayor increased the reward for any incriminating information on homicides & femicides to 40 million pesos ($10,000).
…It’s working! As of 16/12/2021, 260 perpetrators of homicides have been brought to justice.
The year before in 2020, 28 perpetrators of homicides were brought to justice due to public intervention. This figure is expected to be higher for 2021.
This demonstrates that the strategies being implemented are effective. There is a shift in the way the public responds to crime, with dialogue between civilians and authorities no longer being considered fruitless nor taboo.
But it is not just the offer of reward… the Metropolitan Police of the Aburra Valley are the most competent police force in Colombia.
In touristic areas such as Provenza, the police response time is tightly benchmarked to ensure that they’re mobilizing effectively and promptly. Homicides in Medellin are being deterred by the ubiquity of police presence.
Furthermore, Medellin benefits from the most advanced security infrastructure in Colombia. The city is now monitored with over 2,866 cameras 400 of which are ‘intelligent’. This means that they can recognise registration plates; a nightmare for sicarios that have long depended on their bikes to evade justice.
Things to consider
It should be acknowledged that this data is limited to the geographic bounds of just the city. Surrounding municipalities such as Envigado, Sabaneta, Itagüí and Bello are not included.
Given that all these surrounding municipalities are located within the same valley, it’s easy to paint them all under the same brush of Medellin.
As of the 29th of December, there have been 363 homicides in the city of Medellin, of which 9 have been within Comuna 14 (El Poblado).
The introduction of 'Medellin Despierta' (Medellin Awake)
On the 18th December 2021, a new initiative titled ‘Medellin Awake’ will be initiated. With over 1,000 businesses and 20 different commercial centres participating, it aims to stimulate the economic reactivation of commerce and trade in the city.
As part of this plan, businesses will benefit from extended operating hours, with doors staying open until 12 am.
Of course, with this, we all know that the risk of theft, robberies and general crime is expected to increase.
This is why the Mayor of Medellin and Metropolitan Police of the Aburra Valley are intensifying their resources to ensure that delinquency can be averted and that consumers can feel safe during their Christmas shopping.
My thoughts
This news is encouraging. It comes welcomed at a time when the city’s safety has been brought into question. Following the lockdowns of 2020, it ‘feels’ like Medellin has seen an upswing in crime.
This is a growing sentiment that is backed by data – robberies in Medellin appear to have become more commonplace. For this reason, it is appropriate to remain vigilant.
Having said that, there are many that like to inflate the dangers of being in Medellin.
Whilst it is good to share information, including that which pertains to crime and safety, there is plenty of fear-mongering within certain expat communities; an exaggerated sense of fatality lurking within the city.
We all know that there was an increase in crime caused by the pandemic. But by the same token, know that homicides in Medellin continue to decrease despite that. Well, it serves as evidence that the city is doing a lot right.
And just how important that is, if Medellin wants to welcome a growing new sector that is tourism, then it needs to continue to swat away the lingering flames of its past. Medellin must simply work overtime to convince sceptics that it’s no longer a horrific place – a challenge that is made harder by false information and fear-mongering.
We’re a long way from perfect, but things look good and the future even brighter. Medellin’s economy is expected to grow in 2022. Additionally, the city budget is higher than that of any other city in Colombia.
So far so good – vamos para adelante mi Medallo!
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