Is this True?????

[Clemens]

It is true, crime has increased markedly since last year. No need to be afraid, just careful. I had it confirmed by talking to several policemen. Good news is also that Guanajuato does not yet have any heavy drug crime. Mostly muggings and break-ins but also a recent kidnapping (of a local miner at the Calderones village 2 miles from Centro, he was released for a ransom of 200.000 pesos), rape of an 8 year school girl in a callejon a week ago close to the University (rapist got caught and beat up badly by a witness, he is in prison now). Bigger streets during the day should be no problem generally. The policeman said avoid callejones after dark. There are two gangs who have bad ongoing fighting, members between 14 and 25 years of age. Foreigners are not targets, but be careful between Dos Rios and lower San Javier side streets (gang members have been murdered this year), Cerro los Leones (I have personally been attacked there in the evening on Panoramica , but nothing too bad happened). Keep a distance to young guys drinking in these areas. The police also said in September 2012 "Good news is that we caught a couple of street robbers lately, the last 5 days we did not have any reports of muggings".

The police have just made an "honesty / corruption test". Many got fired in Guanajuato, as of October only 30 local police men remains patrolling the streets (for Cervantino they have support from Leon).