Vandals Target Smart Cameras and Panic Buttons in Cancún Hotel Zone

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Smart security cameras and panic buttons installed in Cancún’s hotel zone were vandalized barely a month and a half after they were set up, according to Ricardo Archundia Sánchez, head of the Quintana Roo Tourism Infrastructure Institute (Infratur).

Archundia Sánchez said the surveillance equipment was installed at the 42 public transit pickup and drop-off points along Kukulcán Boulevard. Some of the devices were damaged by people who were later identified with the help of the video surveillance system itself.

“They were installed and a month and a half later they were already vandalizing the cameras,” he said.

The official said footage captured by the system allowed authorities to identify the physical characteristics of those responsible and the uniforms they were wearing. Among those detained were a construction worker and a homeless person, he said.

Archundia Sánchez said the exact cost of the damage is still unknown because it is up to authorities to determine the value of the equipment. He stressed that the devices are not conventional cameras but high-resolution smart equipment, which makes them expensive. The damaged units have already been replaced, he added.

Beyond the cameras and panic buttons, Infratur is working with business owners around Plaza Party Center and the area known as the Callejón de los Milagros to strengthen prevention efforts.

QR Codes and Alerts to the C5

The measures under consideration include distributing information on how to respond to extortion, robbery and other incidents, along with ongoing social media campaigns.

Officials also plan to install QR codes and informational holograms that would allow residents and tourists to access security information or send alerts that can be routed to the C5 command center and the Tourist Police.

Archundia Sánchez said the agency coordinates with various municipal and state departments to address issues related to security, street vending, urban image and homelessness.

He acknowledged a growing presence of homeless people and people with addiction problems at spots such as Bonampak, abandoned properties and areas near the hotel zone.

The trust does not have the authority to make arrests, he explained, so its role is mainly to report cases to the Tourist Police, which then activates the corresponding protocols with the agencies involved.

In parallel, working groups are addressing abandoned properties in the hotel zone, where 30 such sites have been identified. Some are tied up in legal disputes among the owners of hotel, residential and commercial developments.

270 Million Pesos for Hotel Zone Upkeep

Archundia Sánchez said owners are being urged to improve the area’s appearance and keep their land in suitable condition, particularly given the zone’s importance as an international tourism destination.

On infrastructure, he said the budget includes an investment of 270 million pesos, of which about 126 million pesos are earmarked for conservation, operation and maintenance of the hotel zone.

The funds cover pruning, garbage collection, street sweeping, painting, lighting, public lighting maintenance, cabling and drainage, as well as storm drains and upkeep of the public transit stops.

Modernization work includes universal accessibility, pedestrian crossings, smart intersections, architectural lighting, sidewalk rehabilitation and new recreational spaces.

The official acknowledged that vandalism also damages other urban infrastructure, including trash modules that must be replaced repeatedly, especially those in the nightclub area and near kilometer 3.

Among other infrastructure projects, he cited the expansion of the drainage system, natural gas work and road maintenance, with some of the work expected to be finished before the end of the year.