Mexico Crime Data Sparks Disappearance Debate

During the January 8 press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum presented comprehensive crime statistics showing significant improvements across multiple categories. The administration highlighted that 2025 represented the lowest homicide victim count in a decade, marking a substantial achievement for the current security strategy.

Additional metrics presented included:

• Reductions of 15% to 20% in feminicidios
• Corresponding decreases in violent robberies
• Historic lows in overall homicide rates

Sheinbaum, accompanied by her security cabinet, attributed these results to a security strategy that is demonstrating measurable effectiveness. The presentation followed the administration's monthly pattern of releasing crime data to showcase progress in public safety initiatives.

Following the government's announcement, civil society associations and madres buscadoras (searching mothers) immediately questioned the omission of disappearance statistics from the security presentation. These groups have consistently argued that disappearance data represents a critical gap in Mexico's security metrics.

The timing of these concerns reflects ongoing tension between official crime statistics and the persistent crisis of missing persons. Search organizations have long maintained that disappearance cases should be treated as a separate and equally important category in security assessments.

While the government celebrated reduced violence in reported crimes, the absence of disappearance data has become a recurring point of contention between state officials and civil society groups seeking comprehensive information about missing citizens.

Security analysts, academics, and experts remain divided on how disappearance figures should be measured and reported. The lack of consensus on methodology complicates efforts to establish standardized tracking systems.

The Gobierno de México is currently enlisting a new registry to address these measurement challenges. However, the development of this system has highlighted fundamental disagreements about:

• Appropriate data collection methods
• Definitions of disappearance cases
• Integration with existing crime statistics

These methodological disputes occur within a broader context of security strategy evaluation, where different stakeholders prioritize different metrics for assessing public safety progress.

The current debate reflects broader challenges in evaluating security strategies that balance multiple crime categories. While President Sheinbaum has demonstrated success in reducing reported violent crimes, the disappearance issue continues to complicate the administration's security narrative.

The government's monthly data releases have become a platform for competing interpretations of security progress. Official statistics show clear improvements in traditional crime categories, yet search organizations and civil society groups argue that comprehensive security assessment requires inclusion of disappearance data.

As the new registry system develops, the administration faces ongoing pressure to address disappearance concerns while maintaining transparency about the crime reductions already achieved. This balancing act will likely continue to shape public discourse around Mexico's security strategy in the coming months.