Mexico City Council hears 2024 public safety report; staffing, crime and response trends reviewed

Chief Mesko, Mexico’s public safety chief, presented the department’s 2024 annual report to the Mexico City Council on March 24, summarizing staffing levels, crime statistics, emergency responses and community outreach.

In a wide-ranging update, Chief Mesko said the department was short of full commissioned staffing for most of 2024, and that recruitment remained a challenge. “In 2024, we only had 10 applicants, and we only hired two of those 10 applicants,” Chief Mesko said, adding that the department began the year generally four officers short and finished the year with two departures, producing roughly a one-to-one replacement rate for 2024.

The report included operational metrics showing mixed trends. Dispatch counts — which include calls for service plus officer‑initiated activity such as traffic stops and business checks — rose about 6.5 percent, while calls for service fell about 8.5 percent. Traffic stops increased sharply: “1,300 plus traffic stops, that was up 51%,” Chief Mesko told the council. He also said the number of cases forwarded to prosecutors increased about 33 percent, and that the department’s follow‑up and case‑building had improved.

Crime-reporting data compiled under the National Incident‑Based Reporting System (NIBRS) showed 456 reportable crimes for 2024, a 5.5 percent rise year over year, Chief Mesko said. Larceny/theft remained the largest category, at about 380 incidents and up roughly 11 percent from 2023. Burglaries, which the chief called a high‑priority, fell substantially from an elevated 2023 level after arrests were made in a related case the department investigated.

Use‑of‑force incidents increased 52 percent in 2024, the chief said, but he stressed that each incident was reviewed and that reviewers found officers acted within policy. “We evaluate every one of these,” Chief Mesko said, and added that no officer or member of the public was significantly hurt in the department’s use‑of‑force contacts during 2024.

On fire responses, the department recorded several significant structure and natural‑cover fires during the year, including a large building fire at Crown Linen that required extensive resources. The chief credited firefighters and mutual‑aid partners for protecting adjacent exposures and for response efforts in neighboring jurisdictions.

Chief Mesko also summarized community‑facing work: public education and outreach (including fire station tours and the Shop with a Cop event), participation in treatment court, and involvement with the Audrain County Coalition On Reducing Drugs and regional drug‑task forces. Drug enforcement actions by the department increased; Chief Mesko said the department executed about 46 drug‑related arrests or “pops” in 2024, a roughly 39 percent increase from 2023, and that toxicology findings (including fentanyl confirmations) have helped prosecutors pursue charges in some overdose death investigations.

On homelessness, the chief said officers continue to conduct secluded area checks, connect willing individuals with services, and pursue prosecutable cases when necessary. He characterized the department’s relationship with the community and with City Council as cooperative and invited council members to ask follow‑up questions or request additional detail.

The council offered thanks after the presentation; no formal action was taken on the departmental report during the meeting.

Chief Mesko’s full annual report is available in the council packet for reference.