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New 18-Member Rosarito Tourist Police
Force
Starts Patrols By Cars, 4-Wheelers
and Bikes
Release
Code: 170308
ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA,
MEXICO---With a March 14 ceremony, city officials here
launched an 18-member Tourist Police force which will
patrol areas frequented by Rosarito’s more than one
million visitors a year.
The force will patrol areas including
the downtown, Puerto Nuevo Lobster Village and Popotla
Boulevard, home to arts and crafts shops and Xploration
Studios, where “Titanic” and other movies were filmed.
Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, who
took office Dec. 1, said the new force is composed of
the city’s best officers who were personally selected by
Police Chief Jorge Montero.
“The city is the main host for our
visitors and their security is our first priority,”
Torres said.
Tourist police officers will patrol
in 12 specially marked 2007 Dodge Chargers equipped with
cameras and purchased for $340,000, four ATVS and
bicycles for beach areas. They will wear gray and black
uniforms identifying them as Policia Turistica.
“They will be very visible and very
accessible,” Torres said.
In addition to starting the Policia
Turistica and other improvements in the 150-member
police department, Rosarito has taken other recent
actions to increase security and comfort for its
visitors.
More than 300 residents here have
volunteered to provide citizens’ watch services for
visitors to this popular Mexican tourist destination 30
miles south of San Diego.
Members of the newly formed Citizen
Council for Assistance to Tourists were sworn in at a
recent ceremony at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. They
included both Mexican-born and expatriate residents of
the city, tourism officials and business people.
The city of 140,000 includes about
14,000 expatriate residents.
“As the Mexican government cracks
down drug cartels, there have been highly publicized
incidents of violence between authorities and organized
crime in Baja,” Torres “Some people in U.S. have asked
if it safe to visit.”
“In reality, we have had very few
crimes targeting our visitors, but we believe that any
is too many,” Torres said. “There also is the perception
of crime being greater than the reality, and we must
deal with that as well. Our visitors must feel
comfortable.”
“Federal, state and local police
patrols have been increased throughout northern Baja. We
want people to know that we are doing everything
possible to make our visitors feel secure and
comfortable when they come here.”
In past years, extortion of motorists
and other visitors has been a problem, Torres said. He
has pledged to eliminate that with the complete
revamping of the police department.
Rosarito also has created a
24-hour-a-day ombudsman office to assist any visitor
involved in an accident or crime. Ricardo Moreno, an
attorney, heads that office.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ron Raposa
Public Relations, Rosarito Beach
619-948-3740
ronraposa@hotmail.com
Police
Force Hi-res Images
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