Governance

Main article: Politics and government of Nuevo León Palacio Municipal de Monterrey (Monterrey City Hall) The Palace of Government of Nuevo León (Governor's Office)

Monterrey and its metropolitan area are municipalities each of them governed by a democratically elected Presidente Municipal (Municipal President) or Mayor for a period of three years with no right to reelection. The political environment is one of civility and in the last decade political parties have been alternating office. The current Mayor of Monterrey is Margarita Arellanes.

The City Council of Monterrey (Cabildo de Monterrey) is an organ integrated by the Mayor, the Regidores and the Síndicos. The Mayor is the executor of the determinations of the City Council and the person directly in charge of the public municipal administration. The Regidores represent the community and their mission is to collectively define the city policies in all the subjects affecting it. The Síndicos are in charge of watching and legally defending the city interests, as well as in charge of watching the City Treasury status and the municipal patrimony.

The political parties with representation in the city are the Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI, the National Action Party or PAN, the Party of the Democratic Revolution or PRD, the Labor Party or PT, the Green Party, Convergence, Socialdemocratic Party and Nueva Alianza.

Public safety Main article: Mexican Drug War

In 2005, Monterrey was ranked as the safest city in Latin America and Mexico, and one of the two safest in 2006. However, since 2008 the city has experienced violence related to turf battles between warring drug cartels in Mexico. The year 2011 has been the most violent in history. Drug dealers are a major concern, although military offensives and police captures of important drug-cartel chiefs have weakened drug cartels trying to settle in the city. The city is safe to travel by day and night; nevertheless, precaution and common sense should be considered in certain districts at night.

There are two police departments guarding the city, the Police of the City of Monterrey (locally known as the Policía Regia), dependent of the municipal government, and the State Public Safety. The Policía Regia protects the city's downtown and main areas, while the State Public Safety is in charge of the farthest areas. Since the attack to the Casino Royale in 2011, the security has been reinforced by military and federal police.