Monday, April 5, 2010
Baja
California: Added Tourism Police Now Serving Visitors
Rosarito Beach, Mexico – A new metropolitan tourist
police force, to serve visitors along the 70-mile tourist corridor from Tijuana to Ensenada, was launched on March 31 in a
Rosarito Beach ceremony.
Leading state and city officials, as well as members
of the new force, took part in the ceremony in a tented area along the coastal scenic road from Tijuana to Ensenada.
"Today, the Metropolitan Police will begin working
between the three cities to better assist our visitors and bring them additional peace of mind," said Hugo Torres, the mayor
of Rosarito Beach and a leader in the effort to form the special force.
Rosarito established its own 30-member Tourist Police
Force in 2008.
Torres said that crime in Baja California was down
last year — 10 percent overall and 21 percent in Rosarito Beach — a five-year low. Still, scattered violence in
Mexico as authorities crack down on drug cartels has concerned many people, including Southern Californians.
Also attending the Wednesday ceremony were Baja California's
State Public Safety Secretary Daniel de la Rosa; Secretary of State Tourism Oscar Escobedo; Ensenada Mayor Pablo Alejo; and
Tijuana Deputy Police Chief Julian Dominguez.
The Metropolitan Tourist Police, in conjunction with
other police agencies that also patrol the area, will have working with visitors as its main responsibility, De La Rosa said.
The officers will be in vehicles marked Policía Turística Metropolitana. Each vehicle will also
carry the insignia of the city force which the officer represents.
The Baja California Metropolitan Tourist Police officers
received special training from San Diego police, under an agreement between Baja California mayors and San Diego Mayor Jerry
Sanders.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on our working
relationship with our friends to the south,” Sanders said last year when that agreement was signed, adding that the
economies of the two regions are closely tied and both benefit from binational tourism.
“What’s good for Rosarito and Tijuana and
Ensenada is good for San Diego,” Sanders said.
Torres said that because San Diego is such a popular
tourist destination, it is especially expert in dealing with visitors. He thanked Sanders for his city’s support and
assistance.
“It is extremely generous of Mayor Sanders and
the fine officers who assisted us,” he said.
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Press release, March 31, 2010, Office of the Mayor, Rosarito Beach (Playas de Rosarito), Baja California, Mexico
