A citizens group in Mexico focused on security says it’s disappointed by the tepid response to a survey assessing the security proposals of candidates for Sonoran governor and mayor of two major cities.

The Sonoran Security Observatory says only three of five candidates for governor responded to a survey assessing the feasibility of their plans to address security in the state — which is experiencing record-setting violence.

The submitted proposals lacked specificity and measurability, according to a report from the citizens group. But leader Manuel Hoyos had the harshest criticism for those who didn’t participate, including former Mexican Security Secretary Alfonso Durazo.

"The low level of participation of candidates, despite the multiple forms of contact we had with them, either shows a lack of interest in engaging with the public on this issues, or a lack of understanding of how to address these issues of security and justice," he said, adding that it's disappointing to see aspiring leaders ignore a problem most Sonorans say it their top concern.

Mayoral candidates from the Sonoran capital Hermosillo, as well as Cajeme, a municipality in southern Sonora that has seen some of the highest levels of violence in the country in recent years, were also invited to participate in the survey.

Five of eight mayoral candidates in the capital Hermosillo weighed in. But there was no response from the eight contenders in Cajeme, where a ninth candidate, Abel Murrieta, was murdered earlier this month.