A new Metropolitan Tourist Police force was launched in the 70-mile corridor of northern Baja California, from Tijuana to Ensenada. The main responsibility of the force is to patrol the region and work with and aid tourists.
It was officially launched on March 31 in a ceremony in Rosarito Beach, a beachfront town about 30 miles south of the U.S. border.
"Today, the Metropolitan Police will begin working between the three cities (Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada) to better assist our visitors and bring them additional peace of mind," Hugo Torres, the mayor of Rosarito Beach and a leader in the effort to form the special force, said in a press statement.
Rosarito Beach, which serves as a second home (and often a first home) to many Americans, particularly southern Californians, has had its own 30-member Tourist Police Force since 2008.
MTP officers will be in vehicles marked Policía Turística Metropolitana. Each vehicle will also carry the insignia of the city force that the officer represents. The officers received special training from San Diego police, under an agreement between Baja California mayors and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.