Armored cars, bulletproof clothing, high-tech cameras and a portable police station were some of the most popular hardware on display in Mexico recently, with security a high political priority at the moment.
Private companies and government officials were the main clients at a recent annual security fair that came as the death toll from the country’s drug violence shot up to more than 22,700 since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown on organized crime at the end of 2006.
Kidnappings and extortion are widespread, as are beheadings, torture and shootouts, which have spread new fears in the northern business hub of Monterrey and the beach resort of Acapulco, where several civilians have died in the crossfire during recent attacks.
The security industry employs more than 1 million people in Mexico and is worth between US$3.5 billion and US$5 billion per year, said experts at Latin America’s largest security fair, a three-day event that ended on Thursday.
More than 400 specialized companies and 18,000 participants were registered to take part at the Seguridad Expo in Mexico City.
“Despite the international crisis, which affected a lot of companies, this event has grown 20 percent this year in terms of visitors, exhibitors and exhibition space,” spokesman Mario Arroyo said.
The growing climate of insecurity has converted Mexico into one of the main international markets for security specialists, Arroyo said.
Aside from highly publicized drug killings, more than 40 percent of 1.6 million crimes reported last year were robberies, according to the non-governmental organization Unido Contra La Delincuencia (United Against Crime).
Daily news reports of kidnappings and murders feed fears that send those who can afford it to the security experts.
“Mexican companies now use around 12 percent of their budgets on security compared with 3 or 4 percent one decade ago, and the world average of 2 percent,” Arroyo said.
More than 600,000 people are employed in federal and local security forces, without counting the army, Arroyo said.
Private companies are thought to employ about 500,000 more.
Technological advances, which have created cheaper and more discreet equipment, have also boosted growth in the security market.
Sergio Ramirez from Hong Kong-based Mobile Finder, which specializes in locating people with satellites, said that 20 percent of his customers are individuals.
The small devices on show, which connect to the Internet and can cost from US$90 to US$260, include a rechargeable battery that lasts up to five days.
Nearby, Colombian tailor Miguel Caballero, famed for his bulletproof clothing, introduced a new line of casual wear and said he was working on anti-stabbing attire.
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