Mexico City, Mexico - With more than 130,000 people missing across Mexico largely due to the scourge of cartel violence, Mexico City is trying a new approach to finding those who have disappeared.
The work never ends in Mexico City's missing persons unit, which is trying a new approach to the country's massive disappearance crisis.
Distraught families looking for their loved ones have long denounced slow-to-start searches, sluggish bureaucracy, apathy, and even abuse by the authorities, all of which add to the unimaginable suffering they've endured.
AFP visited the year-old Comprehensive Care Center for the Search for Persons in Mexico's capital, which is looking to right that wrong by streamlining the process and prioritizing the humane treatment of those who file complaints.
Pedro Perez initially had a negative view of the authorities when his 14-year-old daughter Linda was taken by her mother, who lost custody when charged with domestic violence – but he was surprised by the center's efficiency and care.
"I thought I was going to have to go back and forth several times, but no, everything is being settled today," Perez told AFP.
Open 24 hours a day, the site houses a control room with eight gigantic screens displaying images from the megacity's one million official security cameras.
Agents from the missing person commission, specialized prosecutors, and police officers work together on reports as soon as they are filed. The process is now much more streamlined, families have a safe space to wait, and the unit employs social workers and psychologists to provide them with support.
"It's something unprecedented that goes beyond pre-established standards and protocols in Mexico," said Search Commissioner Luis Gomez.
"It's a single point of access for the search, which cuts down on time and makes things faster and simpler for the families," he said, adding that "cases receive attention immediately."