Mexico City has presented a comprehensive strategy to combat extortion, led by the Head of Government, Clara Brugada. This strategy includes legislative actions to toughen penalties up to 15 years of imprisonment, a model for attention and combat, an informational campaign, and the launch of the 'Anti-Extortion Line'.
The initiative will be sent to the Congress of Mexico City to amend the local Penal Code and strengthen penalties against extortion and the illegitimate collection of debts, such as the well-known 'drop by drop' method. Another important part of the strategy is to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Citizen Security Secretariat and the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City, including the creation of a General Coordination for Attention to Kidnapping and Extortion Cases.
In the words of the capital's leader: 'The goal is to create an environment in Mexico City that breaks the silence. As part of the protection measures, immediate visits will be made to businesses and commercial establishments to provide advice, along with the installation of panic buttons and the Mi Policía application.'
According to Salvador Guerrero Chiprés, acting head of the FGJCDMX, a specialized Prosecutor's Office for the crime of extortion will be created to respond more effectively to citizen reports, working together with the SSC and the Prosecutor's Office. Guerrero Chiprés expressed that there is currently an underreporting of extortion reports and emphasized the importance of increasing public trust in the authorities.
The strategy includes the creation of new articles in the Penal Code to define the crimes of extortion and illegitimate collection, with penalties of up to 15 years of imprisonment and fines of up to 3,000 Measurement and Update Units. It aims to prevent bail and to prosecute the crime of extortion ex officio. It also contemplates aggravating the penalty in cases where the crime is committed by public servants, using electronic means, or simulating membership in a criminal group.
The model for attention and combat against extortion, led by Citizen Security Secretary Pablo Vázquez Camacho, focuses on the protection of victims, deactivation of threats, investigations to arrest the perpetrators, and dismantling criminal cells. 305 people linked to the crime of extortion have been arrested so far this year, of which 62 correspond to the month of October.
The Command, Control, Computing, Communications, and Citizen Contact Center (C5) has announced the launch of the Anti-Extortion Line, capable of handling 480 daily calls with an immediate response. This line will be essential in the fight against extortion in Mexico City.
