Medellin almost too safe for dangerous city ranking

Jan 21, 2015 posted by Adriaan Alsema

Medellin (Photo: Rogier Klappe)

Medellin, long infamous for being one of the world’s most dangerous cities, might have become too safe to be featured on next year’s list of the world’s most dangerous urban centers.
According to the Mexican Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, a non-governmental crime monitor, Medellin is still featured on the 2014 list of the most dangerous cities on earth together with four other Colombian cities.
The capital of the Antioquia state is currently the world’s 49th most dangerous city based on homicide rates in the 50-city ranking.
However, the city has shown impressive drops in the city’s homicide rates since 2009 when a war between rival factions of crime syndicate Oficina de Envigado came to an end and neo-paramilitary group Urabeños signed a truce with the city’s crime syndicate.

Medellin’s homicide rate

Colombia’s most dangerous cities Cali, Valle del Cauca Palmira, Valle del Cauca Pereira, Risaralda Cucuta, Norte de Santander Medellin, Antioquia

“Maintaining this tendency, it is almost certain that in 2015 Medellin will fall off the ranking,” the report said.
In fact, “If in 2014 the rate of position 50 had stayed the same as in 2013, Medellin already would have left the list.”
According to local authorities, the homicide rate in Medellin dropped approximately 30% between 2013 and 2014.

MORE: Thanks to Medellin and Cali, Colombia boasts least homicides in decades

In spite of also having recorded a 25% drop in homicides, Colombia’s third largest city, Cali, continues to officially be the country’s most dangerous city.

Cali’s homicide rate

Fact sheets Medellin crime statistics Cali crime statistics

Policies introduced by Cali mayor Rodrigo Guerrero to curb the city’s problematic homicide rate did not take visible effect until last year when the city’s homicides plummeted in spite of ongoing warfare between rival drug trafficking organizations in the city.
Other cities with a notable homicide rate are Palmira, Pereira and Cucuta.
Colombian cities occupied five of the 50 spots in the ranking. Brazil was featured most prominently with 19 cities. Mexican cities occupied 10 spots. Venezuela and the United States both saw four of their cities on the list.