Insecurity and Community Strategies in Response to Urban Risk Factors: An Ethnographic Study in the Los Palomos Neighbourhood, Chetumal, Quintana Roo

Abstract

This research explores the perceived and experienced risk factors among residents of the Los Palomos neighbourhood, located on the western outskirts of Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Using a qualitative methodology—including 16 semi-structured interviews and in situ ethnographic observation—three main categories of analysis were identified: the perception and experience of insecurity, risk factors and spaces, and community-based prevention and response strategies. The findings reveal a widespread sense of insecurity, exacerbated by the complete absence of public lighting, the proliferation of vacant lots and abandoned houses, the lack of public spaces, and minimal police presence. These conditions have led to changes in daily routines, social isolation, and the development of self-protection and neighbourhood organisation strategies, although these remain insufficient without institutional support. The study concludes that the interaction between urban decay, social factors, and structural deficiencies creates an environment in which both the perception and the reality of insecurity reinforce each other, undermining quality of life and social cohesion. Immediate intervention by authorities is recommended to improve infrastructure, strengthen policing, and promote the recovery of public spaces, with the aim of restoring safety and social interaction within the community.