Homicides declined 4.7% in September compared to August but Mexico remains on track to record its most violent year in recent history.

There were 2,825 homicides last month, the National Public Security System reported on Sunday, 123 fewer than the number recorded in August.

The five most violent states in September were Guanajuato, Jalisco, Baja California, Michoacán and México state, with 285, 239, 234, 220 and 209 murder cases respectively. Four out of every 10 homicides recorded across the country last month occurred in those five states.

With just four homicides in September, Yucatán was the least violent followed by Campeche, Baja California Sur, Aguascalientes and Durango, which recorded five, five, 11 and 12 cases respectively.

In the first nine months of the year, there was a total of 25,890 homicides, a 2.4% increase compared to the same period of 2018, which was the most violent year on record. The figure represents an average of 95 homicides per day.

However, the murder rate is trending downwards: September was the fourth consecutive month in which there were fewer homicides than the month before. The National Guard, the new federal security force, was deployed nationally at the start of July.

Extortion, kidnappings, home burglaries, domestic violence and drug dealing also declined in September but femicides increased to 91 cases compared to 90 in August.

A total of 166,832 crimes was reported across the country last month, a 4.8% decline compared to the previous month.

Colima, Baja California Sur and Baja California recorded the highest per-capita crime rates in September, with 268, 244 and 240 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants respectively.

Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez said on October 9 that she was confident that the National Guard would achieve positive results in the fight against violence and insecurity “very soon” but stressed that the strengthening of municipal and state police forces was also crucial for the pacification of the country.

Last week was particularly challenging for the nation’s security forces. Thirteen state police officers were killed in a cartel ambush in Michoacán, a soldier was among 15 people slain in a clash between the army and gangsters in Guerrero and a member of the National Guard was killed during a wave of cartel attacks in Culiacán, Sinaloa, last Thursday that followed a botched operation to arrest one of the sons of convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

Source: EFE (sp), El Economista (sp)