Tourists are now safer
Exactly 100 new tourism police officers are starting their first day on the job around the country today. New offices opened Monday in Heredia, Dominical, Puntarenas and surrounding towns.
Many of the new officers will be sent to re-enforce existing operations, while others will be sent to open new operations in regions new to the tourism police units. The newly trained officers are part of a program implemented last year aimed at reducing crimes against tourists.
Tourism-related crimes have dropped 26 percent since the implementation last year, according to the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo.
The new officers graduated from La Escuela Nacional de Policía at a ceremony in Pavas Monday morning and many started working the same day, according to Xinia Vasquez, sub-director of the Policía Turística.
Tourism police officers are trained in the basic three-month police course and receive an additional month of intensive training dealing with particular crimes, ethics and other issues relating to tourism.
A portion of the new officers worked previously as policemen, said Vasquez, but most are brand new.
Although they receive specialized instruction in tourism, few of the officers speak other languages. Of the officers who do speak other languages, the main second-language is English. “For example, in San José, there are two or three officers who are not chiefs, who speak English,” said Ms. Vasquez.
“One of the largest problems we seem to have with tourists,” said Ms. Vasquez, “is their excess of trust.” She also mentioned that a number of tourists continue to carry their actual passports on their person, rather than copies, a highly valuable item for thieves and pickpockets.
Last year there were about 124 tourism police, the new officers bring the number up to 224. About half of the new officers will be sent to reinforce existing zones, while the other half will be sent to open operations in new zones.
San José will receive seven more officers bringing the total to 21.
Alajuela will receive six more for a total of 14 officers. Guanacaste will receive the most this year with 25 new officers, bringing their total to 65 officers. Límón will get 15 new officers for 25 in total.
New areas include Heredia, which will receive four new officers, Dominical with 11 officers, and about 20 officers will be sent to protect Manuel Antonio, Cóbano and Puntarenas. La Fortuna will receive 22 officers.
The officers will work different hours depending on the needs of the particular town said Ms. Vasquez. For example, more officers may work night shifts in Guanacaste because of the lively night scene. She also said schedules will change slightly after the busy season, but the number of tourism officers in each town will stay the same throughout the year. The officers will work 12-hour shifts she said.
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