Violence In Juarez Sparks New Tourism Police

In an effort to bolster tourism, or at least keep the number of tourists from falling lower, Juarez has announced a new police policy to make them feel safer.

Violence in Juarez has gotten so bad that 300 Mexican soldiers and 100 National Guard members have been assigned to the city to back up police.

Juarez Police Chief, Cesar Omar Muñoz, blames the violence on drug dealers fighting for control of the cities drug trade. There were 124 homicides in January, up from 96 in December.

Needless to say, tourists are nervous and many are avoiding Juarez all together. The new police squad is meant to make tourists feel a little better about being in the city and about going to stores, restaurants, etc.

“This is about training officers on how to approach people, know what is going on in tourist areas and develop trust with the public,” said Daniela Gonzalez Lara, staff coordinator for the City of Juarez. “The officers will educate (the public) about these places, government services or medical care they need. They will train to identify potential risks for residents, visitors and vulnerable groups such as women and children.” - ktsm

Juarez spent a ton of money recently fixing up the downtown area known as El Centro and that's where most of these guys will be assigned for now. They may not all be bilingual but more will be as time goes by and others, who are bilingual, complete the required training.

You can read more about the new squad here.