In a recent interview with SanDiegoRed. Tijuana's police Commander, Javier Viruete, said that 75% of the crimes committed in Tijuana, are by immigrants who are deported to this region.

Everyday around 600 people are deported to Tijuana from the U.S. which this number is a significant number, because only about 50 could be sent back to their towns of origin on a daily basis with government aid.

According to the commander, most of the people who are deported from the U.S. have a criminal history that becomes a problem for the city when they are released here.

Although residents, tourist, and even police officers understand their situation, for them it does not excuse the fact that they commit crimes.

"It is one thing to steal a piece of bread because you are hungry, and it is a completely different thing if you steal something with a weapon and by force." added the Viruete.

One other contributing factor to the immigration problem in Tijuana is that some of the people, who are deported, remain in the region due to the aid that they receive from family members who send them money to get by.

The problem with this is that these individuals do not look for a job to improve their quality of life or situation, and the assistance from family members eventually runs out.

Although the authorities mentioned that there is a certain amount of aid that the federal government provides, the amount or resources is not enough because of the number of deportations that occur daily.

Armando Rascon, who is the Subdirector of the Tijuana's police department, added that there have been special measures taken to get a hold of this situation, in which a certain group composed of 18 officers has been designated to patrol certain areas of the city.

This group is also very involved with other offices like the Committee of Tourism and Conventions (COTUCO).

Both officials agreed that they want all visitors that come to this city to feel safe at the very first moment when they set foot in, and not only visitors but all of the residents of this region as well.

Aside from all of the efforts towards public safety, these officials also mentioned that the "maturity" level of today's Tijuana citizen has also helped in improving and changing the city's image, something that they hope that will continue into the future.

Even though the city continues to have its problems like any other place in the world, the change in many areas is noticeable in actual data regarding crime.

Culture, Education and Peace it's what the city will need more of to continue to progress.

Joy.Ruvalcaba@sandiegored.com

Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com