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The summer months may not be the busiest time of the year for Playa del Carmen, but the tourist destination still gets a significant number of visitors.
In preparation for these busy times, authorities typically ramp up security in order to protect the thousands of tourists who vacation in the popular Mexican Caribbean city.
One of the safety measures being implemented in Playa del Carmen is the monitoring of incoming traffic with filters as a way to increase security further ahead of the busy summer season.
Crime In Playa Del Carmen
There’s no hiding the fact that crimes are committed in Playa del Carmen, but it’s far from the violent destination that travel advisories imply.
It is very rare for tourists to become the victim of a crime, as criminal acts typically occur between rival drug dealers rather than innocent bystanders.
Additionally, authorities in Playa del Carmen implement a number of security strategies to help minimize crime and apprehend criminals as well.
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Recent Crime Wave
In the last year, there has been a bit of an uptick in crime in Playa del Carmen.
This is primarily in the areas with more restaurants and bars, and the crime is often related to the extortion of business owners.
Other crime generally has to do with drugs, particularly the battle over drug dealing territories.
This is why it is extremely important that tourists do not go to Playa del Carmen seeking illegal substances, as this is the kind of activity that will put tourists at risk.
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Armed Military
To help combat the sale of illicit drugs, armed military soldiers will commonly tour the beaches, bars, and nightclubs in Playa del Carmen.
During the busy seasons, it is even more common to see these military personnel walking around.
Their presence may be disconcerting, but they are there not so much to respond to rampant criminal activity but rather to help prevent crimes from happening to begin with.
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Police Patrols
Police patrols are also a common sight in Playa del Carmen, and in fact, there was just an increase in police patrols back in February.
Motorcycle patrols were increased at that time from around 20 every day to as many as 300, significantly adding to the sense of security in the popular vacation destination.
The greater presence of police officers also helps to deter criminals from committing crimes.
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New Police Filters
The newest project designed to address safety concerns is the construction of three police filters.
These will be installed at exit points leading to Cancun, Tulum, and Merida.
According to the municipal president, Lili Campos, “The idea is to have them ready by mid-May. They will be filters with modern technology, with plate reading cameras and facial recognition, which will allow the entrance to the municipality to be further shielded.”
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The Project
Campos announced at the start of the police filters project that it was made possible with the use of more than $1.5 million from the federal budget.
In addition to the police filters, other operations will be implemented to safeguard tourists during the busy season as well.
One of these operations will be the administering of breathalyzers by elements of the Municipal Transit and the Secretariat of Public Security.
@rainbowhut ♬ Bad Boys (Theme From Cops) – Inner Circle
Playa Del Carmen
Playa del Carmen has long been a popular tourist destination and continues to grow as one of the most visited cities on the Mexican Caribbean coast.
Municipal president Lili Campos is working to further the image of being a tourist hotspot in the Riviera Maya region.
She commented that they will “continue to seek to renew the image of Solidaridad, Playa del Carmen, and the Riviera Maya with the sole objective of attracting greater investments and increasing the volume of tourists who visit year after year.”
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Ron
Friday 7th of April 2023
This sounds impressive but I was robbed by the police in Cancun, in January, so it's unclear if more police security will help.