Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, July 25, 2026 – Mayor Luis Munguía says closer coordination, neighborhood-based prevention and an expanded police fleet will form the city’s response to a sharp deterioration in public confidence about safety.
Munguía addressed the issue after INEGI reported that 65.4% of Puerto Vallarta adults considered the city unsafe in June. The figure increased from 59.9% in March and 27.3% one year earlier. The annual increase was statistically significant.
The mayor pointed to 35 patrol vehicles recently delivered to the municipal police and said five more units would be added. He also cited neighborhood outreach, cooperation with community committees and the participation of federal, state, municipal, business and academic representatives in a security advisory council.
The timing of the new vehicles is important when evaluating the latest results. INEGI conducted the survey between May 22 and June 12, while the municipal government announced the arrival of the 35 patrol vehicles later in June. The expanded fleet therefore could not have influenced the responses collected in the latest survey.
Munguía acknowledged that the city experienced an extraordinary situation during February and said specific events can affect how people answer the survey. He maintained that Puerto Vallarta remains a safe destination and described the findings as a tool that can identify areas where the government needs to improve.
The mayor also linked public safety to investments beyond policing. He cited the rehabilitation of schools, scholarships, uniforms and tablets, along with lighting improvements and the recovery of parks, sidewalks and other public spaces. The administration’s position is that improving neighborhood conditions and strengthening community ties can help address factors associated with violence.
The response did not include numerical crime-reduction targets, a timetable covering the five additional vehicles, or details showing where the expanded fleet will be deployed. Munguía also did not identify a specific measure the public could use to judge whether the neighborhood programs are producing better safety outcomes.
That omission carries added weight because the same INEGI results found that only 13.3% of Puerto Vallarta respondents considered the municipal government very or somewhat effective at resolving the city’s principal problems. It was the second-lowest result among the urban areas surveyed.
That measure covers overall municipal performance rather than public safety alone. It nevertheless shows that the administration’s challenge extends beyond changing how safe people feel. The city must also persuade residents that its actions are producing visible results.
Vallarta Daily’s initial report on the June survey examines the scale of the increase and Puerto Vallarta’s position compared with other Mexican cities.
The next ENSU publication is scheduled for October 23. Because the current survey was completed before the patrol vehicles arrived, that report will provide the first quarterly indication of whether perceptions began to change after the expanded fleet entered service.
