Crime, fires and traffic crashes in Mexico are all down since 2024. At the Feb. 23 Mexico City Council meeting, Brice Mesko, Mexico Public Safety Department chief, presented MPSD’s 2025 annual report outlining the department’s activity and crime trends.

In 2025, MPSD had 12,580 calls for service.

“That’s when someone picks up the phone or otherwise reaches out to us and wants or needs our help,” Mesko said. “When you map that out, that’s about 34 times a day.”

But the real “hustle,” as Mesko calls it, is the dispatch count that includes calls for service, traffic stops and other self-initiated investigations. MPSD’s dispatch count was 28,561, while all other law enforcement and fire agencies in Audrain County combined for 13,248.

“There are some cop shops that just take the calls and move on and don’t work to reduce it,” Mesko said. “Over half the time these guys and gals are spending is on other things. I do believe that’s where we make a little bit of a difference.”

Last year, MPSD generated 2,517 reports, conducted 1,542 traffic stops, responded to 242 fires, took 268 people to jail and logged approximately 1,933 ambulance assists. The public safety department also forwarded 985 cases to a prosecutor — 534 went to the Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney, 362 went to the Mexico Municipal Prosecutor and 89 went to the 12th Circuit Juvenile Office.

According to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, the total reportable crimes in Mexico has dropped from 436 in 2024 to 313 in 2025. The NIBRS report includes crimes against people such as homicide, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault and property crimes such as burglary, larceny or theft and arson.

Crimes against people have stayed relatively steady over the past five years with 31 reported in 2024 and 2025, but the number is small in comparison to property crimes.

“Beginning in 2025, we had some groups of young people, juveniles and young adults, who decided to come into Mexico from other places and take anything that wasn’t nailed down," Mesko said, adding that this isn’t just happening in Mexico.

MPSD reported 282 property crimes, which is 143 fewer than in 2024. In 2025, there were no homicides, 10 sexual assault cases, one robbery, 20 aggravated assault cases, 41 burglaries, 237 thefts and four cases of arson. Of the reported thefts, there were 14 cases of theft of a motor vehicle and 66 larceny cases from shoplifting at Walmart.

“In addition, our clearance rates stayed pretty ballpark where they have been in the recent past, and that’s pretty good,” Mesko said. “We tend to be above the national average in most of our clearance rates.”

Traffic crashes in Mexico also trended down. There were 211 total crashes reported — 35 injury crashes, 48 total injured and three fatalities. Mesko reported that MPSD traffic stops were up 13%.

“We are going to hope that trend continues and the officers have been doing their part on that as well,” he said.

In 2025, MPSD logged 14 personal conduct reports including two commendations, two inquiries and 10 allegations of misconduct. Of those 10 allegations of misconduct, one was sustained, two were unfounded and 11 were reported to be resolved at intake.

Mesko said use of force in 2025 was comparable to last year with 35 incidents, but different types of force and fewer officers involved. MPSD reported 43 incidents where physical control was used, one instance where pepper spray was used, six uses of an Orcutt Police Nunchaku and in 13 instances a firearm was displayed.

“We believe in making good criminal cases — we do it all the time,” Mesko said. “Most police departments know if there actually is a significant issue in a community, or society as a whole, you can’t just arrest your way out of it. We want to do our part in making the arrests, but you also have to make some solid partnerships.”