SAN DIEGO -- The Baja California many people would like to imagine has music, shopping, beaches and sunsets.

However, the images many Southern Californians have seen from Tijuana lately are of violence and unrest.

On January 17, shootings between drug cartels and Mexican police occurred on neighborhood streets in broad daylight. School children were caught right in the middle of the violence.

"It was a very difficult experience. It was a difficult experience for the adults as well as the children," said Gloria Espinosa, principal at Alegria School.

Espinosa and her husband, Jorge, own the Alegria School and were forced to evacuate their students during the recent shootout that happened only a block away.

10News' Steve Atkinson asked Jorge, "Are you concerned about the violence that is taking place now?"

Jorge Espinosa replied, "Oh yes, definitely. Everybody in town is worried about that."

Tijuana officials described the bloody shootout that took place at a home on Jan. 17 was a war zone. But this war zone isn't halfway around the world -- it is only miles from San Diego.

Windows of the home were completely shot out. The gun battle that took place was just part of a spike in violence since a new administration took over in Tijuana.

There is a new governor, a new mayor, a new police chief and a new attitude towards long-running violence in Tijuana. The government said it has had enough.

Christian Gonzalez and his son live in the war zone. He said residents and tourists are caught in the middle of this bloody power struggle.

"The people on the other side, the tourists, they don't want to come over. I even have aunts that don't want to come over. They have open rentals here but they don't want to come over because of security," said Gonzalez.

So, if Baja Californians are worried about security, how should the 18 million Americans who visit Baja every year feel?

Tourism secretary Oscar Escobedo is desperately trying to get the word out about secure zones along highways and popular tourist attractions.

"The federal and state police have doubled their shifts from Tijuana all the way to Ensenada," said Escobedo.

He added the recent image problem has dropped tourism by 1.5 million people in one year. That has hurt business in places like Puerto Nuevo.

Atkinson asked La Habanita shop owner Mario Garcia, "Are you concerned the negative publicity will slow things down?"

Garcia replied, "We do. Everybody."

Garcia relies on tourism to keep his shop open. The peak season begins in a month but he is confident things will turn around because of people like Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres.

"I've been in this area forever. So, I can't understand why we're losing it. So with that, I want to get it back for the people," said Torres.

Torres owns the Rosarito Hotel and is now part of the new administration in Baja California -- an administration determined to drive the cartels out.

"You know the cartels are not going to back down. Do you expect more violence until you can beat this problem?" Atkinson asked Torres.

Torres said, "We expect more violence but that will be targeted to our policemen. But the average citizens of Mexico or Americans are not targets of the drug fight."

Because he is outspoken about the cartels, Torres is a target and travels in a convoy with at least a half-dozen bodyguards. Many visiting San Diegans don't have this kind of protection.

Jerry Lyndes is one of 80,000 U.S. citizens who no call Baja California home.

"I think you have to be careful, just like in any U.S. city. You have to be aware of your surroundings and of what's going on."

That is the same advice the FBI offers. The agency said kidnappings are on the rise in Baja.

"When you travel, don't draw attention to yourself. Don't do anything that would make you high profile," said Darrell Foxworth of the FBI.

Other law enforcement sources would not comment on camera due to political issues.

However, 10News was told by a high-ranking official: "There is a spillover (of crime)… especially into the Bonita-Eastlake area. People who have fled Baja because of death threats… the bad guys (cartel members) come after them even here in California. It is rarely reported and when they do, it is a missing persons report."