It's a Small World, Afterall?

Growing up, I really had the sense that the world was generally a safe, peaceful, secure place. I guess everyone wants their children to grow up that way. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that once you get to a certain age you realize the degree to which it isn't the case.

Why bring this up now? I'm doing research for my Law & Development paper on the effect of Crime in Mexico, I came across this little gem: "At least 4,000 people have been murdered in violence involving traffickers so far this year. Officials say that is a sign that government pressure is having an effect. Some believe that the Sinaloa mob has been least affected by the crackdown. Nevertheless, one of its leaders, Jesús Zambada (aka “the king”), was among 16 of the gang’s members (including three policemen) arrested last month after a gun battle. The authorities say that since December 2006 they have arrested more than 48,000 traffickers, seizing 69 tonnes of cocaine and more than 24,000 illegal firearms."

Which raises some interesting questions. Why do English folk use "tonnes" instead of "tons?" Where do you put 48,000 traffickers? And, perhaps most importantly, how does the fact that 4,000 murders have occurred signal that "government pressure is having an effect?"