Last week I wrote about the best ways to seek help if you have an emergency in Mexico.
Beyond the basics of learning how to use emergency services in Mexico lies a mountain of government data. This data shows the myriad reasons residents of Mexico call 911 for help, as collected by the Secretaria de Seguridad y Proteccion Ciudadana.
To me, it’s an unconventional way to understand safety conditions in a specific location that goes beyond what’s captured by government crime statistics. Specifically, the data show things like…
- The top reasons for 911 calls
- Which states generate the most security-related calls, and where they’re up-trending
- What share of 911 calls are “real” emergencies and how many are inappropriate
Here are some of the highlights.
Where are Emergency Calls Coming From?
The table below shows the Mexican states (and Mexico City as its own category due to its immense size) driving most calls to the 911 system.
Mexican States Generating the Most Calls, Jan – Sept 2024
Because states at the top of the list have huge populations, it’s logical that they would drive a disproportionate share of emergency calls nationwide.
That said, a few states “punch above their weight” in emergency call volume, e.g. Sonora, Nuevo Leon, and Guanajuato. High call volumes from these states relative to their population size imply greater insecurity in those places than the “average” Mexican state.
Why People Dial 911 in Mexico
Government statistics classify emergency calls across six main categories, as illustrated in the chart below.
Data in the pie chart below capture ONLY the calls the government deems genuine emergencies. Hence, the total call volume is sharply lower than in the table shown above.
As you can see, the majority of emergency calls in Mexico are triggered by security issues (which we’ll dig into more later), with medical and general assistance emergencies contributing the next largest shares.
911 Calls in Mexico, Jan – Sept 2024
What Types of Security Incidents Drive These Calls?
The government’s data here is unfortunately a bit fuzzy, with roughly two-thirds of security calls of an unspecified nature.
However, they do break down emergency calls triggered by domestic violence, violent crime outside the home, and fears related to aggressive or suspicious people. A small portion of ‘security’ calls ( < 9%) are related to traffic accidents.
Security Emergencies by Type, Jan – Sept 2024
How has call volume related to security emergencies trended over the past 5 years?
The good news is that security calls’ share has fallen slightly in 2024 through September, to 58.2% from 59.4% in the same period a year ago. This is a positive signal following increases in 2023 and 2022.
Mexican States with the Most Security Emergency Calls
More interesting still is the rate of emergency calls by location generated per 100,000 residents. This data reveals where security issues are more prevalent, given how most emergency calls nationwide relate to crime and safety.
States with the Most Security Calls per 100,000 Residents
These rankings closely mirror areas that have experienced significant insecurity lately tied to organized crime — with one notable exception. The recent unrest in Sinaloa isn’t fully represented in this data as it only covers through September, with major violence there (between warring cartel factions) ongoing.
Data also show where emergency calls have been rising fastest. Again, the surge in emergency calls from Quintana Roo in 2024 is unsurprising given official crime data and the government’s military response earlier this year, even if that comes as news to most tourists visiting the area.
States With the Biggest Increase in Emergency Calls, Jan – Sept 2024
Abuses of the 911 System in Mexico
Shockingly, nearly three-quarters of all calls to the 911 system are tagged as inappropriate, i.e. llamadas improcedentes in the government’s terminology. But there is some good news on that front.
The share of bogus calls is down from 5 years ago when Mexico’s nationwide 911 system was still quite new. (It was only introduced here in 2016)
Of the calls deemed inappropriate, 58% fall into the “llamada muda” category, which means the person called in and said nothing when emergency operators answered.
This might indicate that a caller changed his/her mind, had a problem that didn’t qualify as an emergency, or was in crisis but found it too risky to speak when their call was picked up. For domestic violence cases and other security threats, this isn’t hard to imagine.
Another 10% of inappropriate calls come from some combination of adults and kids playing games, which is a depressingly high number.
While these problems plague emergency response systems in other countries too, I hope as more Mexicans become accustomed to having — and using — this system, the novelty will wear off and stupid/wasteful/abusive calls into it will decline.
No matter how you interpret it, …. a high volume of bogus calls flooding the system makes it more difficult for legitimate emergencies to be answered and acted upon.
Surprising Things That Are Classified as Emergencies in Mexico
This topic is a bit grim, so before I wrap up let’s take a quick detour to the lighter side.
Examining the data I was struck by some of the things Mexico’s government categorizes as “real” emergencies. Here are my favorites:
- Excessive noise
- Finding a dead animal on the street
- Air pollution or water contamination
- A swarm of bees
- Dangling electrical wires
- Failing traffic lights
- An electrical outage
While none of these things are trivial, it seems generous to label them emergencies. Some of them are so commonplace when living in Mexico that I now consider them a normal part of daily life.
If these things are legit emergencies, it’s no wonder 911 call volumes are huge. Or — perhaps these things are “appropriate” 911 calls because there isn’t a better alternative to getting most of them solved.