By Kristin Hahn

The Tourist Police of Playa del Carmen pride themselves on their values and principles of: leadership, order, discipline, honesty, efficiency, and professionalism. They are in the process of getting ISO certified, and they are bringing a new image to their force.

 I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down for an interview with Comandante Urbano Garcia Santiago, the Commander and Chief of the Tourist Police, here in Playa del Carmen. I wanted to get an insiders point of view on the incredible growth and expansion of Playa del Carmen, as well as the Riviera Maya.

Comandante Santiago came from his home state of Veracruz in 1982 to Chetumal, and moved here to Playa del Carmen in 1988 where he has been working here as a police officer for the past 4 years. Comandante Santiago states that there are more then 9,000 visitors per week that arrive in our quaint little beach town, and on top of that there are over 120,000 year round residents.

He claims that it is extremely important to serve the public and community, and to make sure that visitors feel safe and secure, and have a positive experience while visiting the Riviera Maya. He thinks that looking at the long term growth of the area can only benefit the local community, and increase the legitimacy of Playa del Carmen as an international destination. There are 34 police officers under his command, and each year they plan on expanding their squad by almost 30% by hiring an additional 10 officers as our visiting numbers increase.

The tourist police cover an area of 6 kilometers: from North to South, the Coco Reef Club down to the Cozumel ferry dock, and from East to West: 10^th Avenue to the beach. In addition, they have 2 policemen located in Akumal, 1 in Tulum, and 1 in Coba. Their main focus is problem prevention, to guide tourists to local area kiosks for further information, and to serve in keeping the overall order in our tourist zone. And although they do work closely with other facets of the police force here in Playa del Carmen; they do not conduct any types of investigations. They are one part of a very close network of Public Security, which consist of :  Tourist Police, The Bomberos, Transit Police, and Preventative Police (you see them in the trucks and in front of banks), all of which share brand new headquarters in the Colonia Nueva Creacion.

Comandante Santiago is very passionate and enthusiastic of his role in serving the visiting public, and he has a list of suggestions that may help, whether you are visiting here for a week, month, or a year.

1. DO NOT take valuables to the beach, including any type of important travel or identification documents; leave them at your hotel or your home.
2. When in very isolated areas or beaches, DO NOT leave your belongings unattended.
3. DO NOT leave any valuables in your car
4. BE CAREFUL who you choose to buy things from: make sure they are reputable prior to purchasing or accepting any invitations, specifically from vacation clubs.
5. As a TOURIST always inquire at your hotel for their recommendations and advice on security
6. DO NOT take drugs, and be careful of your alcohol intake.
7. And last, but not least, if you do have a serious problem with a civilian or a police man, please file an official complaint at the Public Security headquarters.

 So, thank you Comandante Santiago, for being a gracious interviewee, and giving us helpful advice on making things run smoothly while we visit the beautiful area of the Riviera Maya.

 Kiosk Locations:

• 5^th Avenue and 10^th Street
• 5^th Avenue and Juarez
• Juarez Avenue and the Freeway
• Juarez Avenue between 15^th and 20^th Avenue
• First Avenue North and 28^th Street (near Mamitas Beach)
• Freeway and Constituyentes

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment