Drug war

Gallup Opinion Briefing on Mexico and the Drug War

Gallup just released these findings based on polling data obtained in Mexico during the Summer of 2008 that provides some insight into public perception of the drug trade problem.  I am a bit concerned about the size of the poll, which interviewed 1,000 individuals (out of a population of over 109 million), and the Gallup site does not clarify whether they interviewed people in every state, by region, or whether it concentrated all interviews in one specific region (border, Gulf, Pacific, etc), which can play a pivotal role in the results obtained.  It comes as no surprise that as violence has escalated,  the confidence of the general populace has diminished.  Among other findings: 

  • Nearly 6 in 10 Mexican residents (59%) said gangs are present, up from 51% in 2007.
  • More than 4 in 10 (43%) said drug trafficking or sales take place in their neighborhoods, up from 38% in 2007.
  • Forty-four percent of Mexicans expressed confidence in their local police, which is down from 50% in 2007 and roughly similar to the 42% measured in 2006 before Calderon's crackdown.

 

 

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