Tourist Police units to be created in Cancún, Acapulco and Los Cabos

Given the increasing insecurity and crime that Mexico’s main tourist destinations have been experiencing, the Secretariat of Tourism announced the implementation of a feasibility study to prevent crime from hurting the tourist industry.

MERIDA — Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, confirmed the creation of the “Cancun, Acapulco and Los Cabos Tourist Police Unit”, which is sponsored by the federal government as well as by private initiative.

A study will be carried out due to the growing perception of insecurity that affects Mexico in this area, as the country requires institutions capable of confronting crime. To do so, they considered that increasing the collection of tax resources in these destinations was necessary, as it will be a measure to train and strengthen institutions to fight against insecurity.

During his stay in Yucatan, where he headed the forum on Governance for Sustainable Tourism, de la Madrid Cordero stated that in 15 days the pilot model on tourist destinations safety will be presented. He mentioned that it will be applied in places that have had a recent violent crime increase over the past few months.

He said that it is crucial to put into action these Tourist Police units, as these are destinations where a lot of tourists — both national and international — arrive, and also because these are places that did not formerly have such type of insecurity. The objective is to build a new image of safeness in the country, starting from these cities, as it will be necessary to go to the bottom of the problem and generate institutions that will allow us to face any type of crime.

“If we want to be successful in fighting against crime and insecurity, we have to invest in institutions, and the way to do so and to finance them is through the resources that taxes generate,” he explained. After that, he pointed out that “this tax resource collection must be transparent, responsible and show accountability for touristic destinations.”

The main intention is to generate excellent, well-paid police agents and to give them decent housing, and life insurance, and scholarships for their children. Likewise, they will also invest in respectable public ministries and judges. He stressed that if society is demanding safety to be a priority in Mexico, then the resources needed have to be proportional to such demand.

SOURCE: El Financiero