market and the area around is crime. The borough of Iztapalpa has become one of the most crime ridden in Mexico City, but the market is a particular attraction for certain types of crime. Because of the large number of truckers and others that regularly enter and leave the area, the facility has become a magnet for prostitution. This includes the prostitution of minors. There are also significant problems with underage workers, and small scale drug trafficking. However, the most serious threat is robbery and kidnapping. Robbery of merchandise, shipments and money, including violent episodes, is a constant concern, and many merchants have private security. NGO’s related to the kidnapping problem in Mexico such as Consejo para la Ley y los Derechos Humanos state that merchants from the facility are targeted by gangs associated with this crime. The targets include the merchants themselves, but more often it is family members. One recent case was the kidnapping and murder of Antonio Equihua Peralta, the minor son of one of an Abasto merchant. In the last ten years, there have been 286 proven cases of people associated with the market who have been held against their will. Police have conducted raids and other operations to improve security over the years. Market official and police have claimed that crime statistics as of 2007 have significantly improved, up to 90% from highs over the tenure of current administrator Raymundo Collins Flores. However, market merchants have demanded more security including the installation of 4,000 surveillance cameras and the establishment of 4,000 member police squad specifically to the market. Over twenty five years after the federal government expropriated fifty chinampa properties to build the facility, former owners are still demanding return for the loss of their cropland. At the time, the farmers received forty pesos per square meter. However, many claim that since much of the land was never built on, it should be sold back to the original owners for the equivalent price. Most of the claimants are over fifty who lost their only means of subsistence with the loss of their lands. References Retail markets in Mexico City Food markets Iztapalapa