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I received word today that a special branch of tourism police is being designated this week in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point). I don't have more details other than that it will consist of 10 patrol cars (not sure whether they are state or local police). I am working to find out more and will provide additional details when they are available. There is a ceremony this afternoon to inaugurate the new branch.
This is a step in the right direction to help control some of the recent issues the town has had with police collecting bribes from tourists. It is one of the reforms I previously called for in my post on police corruption that you can read here.
While it is not a major problem in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), a small amount of police corruption can still have a big impact on tourism. There have been several high profile stories in the Arizona media in the last year about police stopping tourists in Puerto Peñasco for minor violations or even for no reason, and then asking for bribes to "make the problem go away." Tourists usually have little knowledge about what to do or who to call if they feel they have been treated unfairly - so they usually just pay the bribe and move on. The tourists are in no danger of being harmed, but it can be a scary situation for someone who is in a foreign country, may not speak the language and may have some commonly-held (but often untrue) negative perceptions about Mexican police. And it is an experience that will be repeated to friends and other potential visitors to Puerto Peñasco, thus hurting tourism.
For more information on what is being done, click below to read on...
I was having lunch Friday with a couple of new friends and one of them remarked that a problem he sees at the resort he works for in Sandy Beach is that people want to get out and go visit the town, restaurants and bars/clubs. However, they often don’t want to drive around town for various reasons – particularly at night (DUI concerns, worried about their car, not knowing their way around town, etc.). Taxis in Puerto Peñasco aren’t perceived as that reliable yet by Americans (even though I and my friends will use them), so he suggested what I think is a great idea – a weekend shuttle. Click below to read my full proposal....
