The City Council of Mérida is betting on a scheme of citizen participation and management for the prevention of crime, social cohesion, and strengthening of the social structure.
To continue to strengthen social cohesion and security in the municipality, the City Council of Mérida launched the “Vecinos Vigilantes” program.
In a coordinated effort between the Directorate of Social Development and Combating Poverty and the Municipal Police, the aim is to strengthen the social fabric and encourage citizen participation in the security of its neighborhoods.
From the Juan Pablo II neighborhood, Arturo León Itzá, director of Social Development and Combating Poverty, commented that for Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada it is a priority to promote citizen participation to keep Mérida as one of the safest cities in the country.
“In this new way of governing, the Mayor has asked us to be closer to the people, with concrete actions for their well-being. For this reason, the Vecinos Vigilantes serve as citizen managers before the City Council of Mérida and with the support of our Municipal Police, they join the efforts to prevent crime and generate safe environments for our families,” he stressed.
He indicated that the strengthening of the social fabric is key to crime prevention.
“More prevention and more community result in a Mérida where we are all included and feel at peace. With these talks and training by the Municipal Police we seek that each neighbor becomes an ally in the security, peace, and healthy coexistence of their neighborhood,” he said.
He pointed out that the City Council of Mérida works hand in hand with citizens to strengthen crime prevention and security in each neighborhood.
“Through strategies such as the Vecinos Vigilantes program, active collaboration between the community and the authorities is encouraged, allowing each Merida resident to participate in the construction of a safer and more reliable environment” concluded Arturo León.
The Vecinos Vigilantes program has managed to consolidate a total of 200 committees throughout the city by the end of 2024. By 2025, the goal is to reach 600 organized groups that actively participate in their neighborhoods.
To involve a greater number of people in the surveillance and protection of their community, each Vecinos Vigilantes committee will receive preventive talks from the Municipal Police.
The commitment of the Mérida City Council is clear: to continue strengthening the community, generating spaces for citizen participation, and guaranteeing that each Merida resident has a safe environment in which they can fully develop.
TYT Newsroom
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