Janet Napolitano Urges Officials to Stop Exaggerating Violence on U.S. Side of Border

The Homeland Security secretary tries to make her case with FBI crime statistics, but public perceptions are hard to change.

Los Angeles Times: Battling the widespread perception that U.S. border cities have become more dangerous, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday called on public officials to stop exaggerating the violence on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico and "be honest with the people we serve." In a speech in El Paso, Napolitano cited FBI statistics showing that violent crime rates in Southwest border counties are down 30% over the last two decades and are "among the lowest in the nation." Napolitano's effort to change the public perception of danger follows a heated campaign season last fall that saw candidates in border states frequently emphasizing the effects of illegal immigration on their communities. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, was criticized during the campaign for saying that headless bodies were being found in the Arizona desert, a statement she retracted after local coroners could not confirm her claim. A few mayors in the region recently have said that the portrayal of their towns as dangerous has hurt them economically. "Let's stick with the facts," Napolitano said. "We need to be up front and clear about what's really happening along our borders." Even as the drug war has escalated just south of the border, crime rates in Arizona border towns have remained essentially flat, said Napolitano, citing the addition of personnel and technology in the region.