The Online Magazine for Traveling & Living in Baja
New Stories - Subscribe for FREE - Advertise - Contact
Rosarito Beach works to Improve Tourist Security
North American Residents look for Security Improvements
We have received first hand reports from several readers who live in the Pacific Region of Baja California between San Quentin and the US Border. They told us tales of corruption and daylight intimidation that cause many long time visitors of Baja to as one reader put it "Lick their wounds and vowed never to return."
These readers also told of significant improvements in the situation since the Mexican Military intervened in November. They are hopeful that the degree of safety will continue to improve with the change in political atmosphere in both Rosarito Beach and Tijuana.
Editorial: The addition of these new patrols with video equipped trucks could prove a turning point in questions of and incidents of police corruption. With the cameras providing ambivilant witness to the interaction between a police officer and the person in question, a transparency to an event which should be a very public act and serves to indemnify both the acussed and the officer.
In car cameras have made inroads in combatting corruption in problem places like Los Angeles and New Orleans. There becomes no doubt in questions of resisting arrest or taking bribes if the camera is working. There in will lie the hinge pin; How long with the cameras remain 'working'.
New 18-Member Rosarito Tourist Police Force Starts Patrols By Cars, 4-Wheelers and Bikes
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