Los Cabos Tourists Remain Safe Despite Recent Crime Increases

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Last Updated 2 months ago

January was a rough month for crime in Los Cabos. There was a significant jump in both numbers and types of crimes to start the year.

While some may be related to New Year’s Eve celebrations, it is definitely an important change that will need to be kept an eye on.

The good news is, despite the jump in criminal activity, overall tourists remain safe enjoying their vacation getaway to the beach resort destination.

Crimes Increase in Baja California Sur

The monthly Baja California Sur Stoplight Report tracks the number of occurrences in 11 different crimes in the state. The reporting is similar to a stoplight where green means low occurrence, yellow is caution and the red light signifies a high level of crime.

During the month of January, six out of the 11 crimes tracked were red lights in Los Cabos. These red lights included drug dealing, vehicle theft, home burglary, injuries, family violence and femicide.

The other five were green lights and included homicide, kidnapping, extorsion, business robbery and rape.

In December, only three red lights were recorded, which involved crimes in drug dealing, vehicle theft, and injuries.

Again, many of the crimes can potentially be attributed to New Year’s Eve rowdiness. However, it will be important to see if it is a one-off due to the holiday or an emerging trend.

An increase in crime was also noted in La Paz during the month of January.

It had red lights for kidnapping, drug dealing and vehicle theft. Four other crimes were yellow lights. La Paz registered three red lights in December as well.

Tourists Remain Safe

Despite the increase in overall crime in Los Cabos, visitors to the beach resort destination remain relatively safe.

The only tourist crime that regularly appears on the Baja California Sur Stoplight Report is drug dealing. However, that’s a crime that tourists can avoid and is typically nonviolent.

The other crimes, such as vehicle robbery, family violence and home burglary don’t have any involvement of tourists.

Therefore, the level of criminal activity regarding tourists is actually pretty low. However, in addition to drug dealing, there are two more that tourists really need to keep an eye out for in Los Cabos.

Theft of valuable items such as smartphones, purses and electronics remains an issue, especially in times of high visitor traffic. We are just heading into another one of these periods with the spring holiday travel season right around the corner.

The other is related to fraud. In parts of the Mexican Caribbean, there is fraud connected to counterfeit money that could durface in Los Cabos as well. Also, there are scams to be aware of and cases of ATM card skimming fraud.

Fortunately, all of these crimes are not violent. The State Department travel advisory for Los Cabos remains the same, especially for visitors sticking to the tourist areas of the town.

Tips for Tourists

As in any unfamiliar city, tourists should be aware of their surroundings and exercise precautions to keep themselves safe.

Theft is the most common crime affecting travelers in Los Cabos. Don’t leave items unattended and this crime of opportunity will not occur.

This crime commonly occurs when travelers step away from their items at the beach, pool or restaurant. Be sure to keep an eye on your items.

As for fraud, beware of exchanging currency with people on the street and instead stick to local banks and traditional casas de cambio.

Also be careful handing over your debit or credit card and using it at ATM machines. If the piece where you insert your card sticks out, grab it and give it a good shake. If it feels flimsy or a part comes off, that’s a good danger indicator.

Even with a general increase in crime, there are many ways to stay safe and enjoy a fantastic beach vacation getaway in Los Cabos.