3. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
This time last year, Ciudad Juarez would have easily been in the #1 position on this list, as it had been for the last 3 years.
Plagued by murderous drug warfare, some parts of the city could have been mistaken for a warzone.
Yet over the last year, the murder rate in this border town dropped over 57%. The shift has been drastic; in October 2010, there were 359 murders in the city, while in October 2012 there were “only 30″.
While the Mexican government proudly boasts about the reduction in crime, the true reason for the murder drop likely has nothing to do with the government's efforts. Instead, citizens have the Sinaloa cartel to thank.