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Security is a top concern for many visitors to Mexico.
In many visitor surveys to Mexico, tourists often cite it as one of the top items influencing their decision to travel to the country for a summer vacation getaway.
While Cancun and the Riviera Maya are relatively safe tourist locations to visit in the country, police officials with the State of Quintana Roo are constantly working hard to ensure that it remains that way.
To keep tourists safe while visiting the popular beach resort destinations, police officers have recruited some furry four-legged officers to help patrol key tourist areas of the region.
K-9 Patrols Deployed
Visitors to Cancun and the Riviera Maya can expect to see more police dogs on patrol during the summer to protect tourists from potential criminal activities in the area.
The Canine Unit of Quintana Roo has been called in to reinforce the tourism policing activities in the marina, shopping centers, and transportation hubs in the area.
The furry super sniffers are specifically sweeping popular traveler areas for subtle scents of firearms, narcotics, and explosive devices.
Ferry Terminal Inspections
Recently, they completed an inspection of the Ultramar ferry terminal in Puerto Juarez that connects tourists with Isla Mujeres and Cozumel with Cancun.
Two K-9 units completed more than 450 inspections of people at the terminal, along with a complete sweep of two ferry-type vehicles docked at the port.
Shopping Center Sweeps
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A third police dog team was sent to the Plaza Las Americas in Chetumal in the far south of Quintana Roo near the border with Belize.
In that location, the team strategically targeted the stores in the shopping district in the plaza for narcotics and firearms.
They also walked among the visitors in the plaza to ensure their safety and discourage potential criminal activity.
How To Act Around Police Dogs
It’s very important to understand that the police dogs are actually working animals and are there to keep tourists safe in high-traffic areas such as commercial ferry ports and shopping center locations throughout Cancun and the Riviera Maya.
Because of this, tourists should not approach or pet police dogs. They should also avoid making loud noises around the animals.
The dogs will approach people in ordinary situations and may stop to sniff around luggage, backpacks, purses, and carts used for transporting packages.
According to some experts, dogs have approximately 50 scent receptors for every one humans have. Estimates are that the sense of smell of police dogs is 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than their fellow human police officers.
Tourists should be prepared for this type of activity in popular areas during the entire summer season and respect the activities of the police dogs and their officer handlers to promote safety.
Keeping Tourists Safe
This highly visible tourism policing activity is not only a smart way to detect scents of narcotics, explosives, and firearms but also a form of public relations.
The sight of a police dog inspecting an area can make visitors to a foreign country feel more comfortable about seeing police activity in a popular tourist destination.
This style of proactive tourism and community policing is not only popular in Cancun and the Riviera Maya but also in the United States and Canada.
It has been shown to be an effective way of reducing criminal activity in high-traffic areas as well as fostering relationships between the local police and tourists visiting the area.
The use of the Canine Unit of Quintana Roo is expected to continue its work throughout the summer in several different areas across the entire state frequented by international tourists.
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