  The intention of the campaign is to protect the people of Costa Rica against robberies during the holidays celebrated in the months of December and January. - Ministry of Security photo - |
|||
   
|
 Published Monday, November 23, 2020
Increase arrests due to
Safe December police operation By the A.M. Costa Rica staff In the first week of the so-called Safe-December police operation, 122 people have been arrested on suspicion of committing various types of crimes, reported the Ministry of Security. Among the detainees some people had arrest warrants and suspected of committing robberies. Others for illegally carrying firearms, carrying drugs, among other types of crimes. Also, 13 undocumented immigrants were detained and taken to the Migration Police. Aside from making arrests, the police reported having seized five firearms, as well as 52 pieces of ammunition and four chargers. Other types of weapons, so-called non-lethal, were seized as a BB gun, a pistol with rubber bullets, among others. The police also seized drugs such as 194 doses of marijuana, 164 grams of the same drug, 73 doses of crack and 35 doses of cocaine. Last week, the government announced the security campaign, so-called “Diciembre Seguro” or Safe December in the English language. The intention of the campaign is to protect the people of Costa Rica against robberies during the holidays celebrated in the months of December and January. The security strategy is set to run from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4. The goal is to avoid an increase in burglaries because people have to carry more money to cover Christmas and New Years' Eve celebration expenses. Among the measures taken, authorities will increase their forces by 400 police officers. They will also purchase more equipment, such as motorcycles, two-way personal radios and personal watercraft jet skis; all these were valued at approximately $2,467,853, the Ministry of Security said in its statement. According to the ministry, police officers will be monitoring crowded areas during the holidays, such as boulevards, banks, ATMs, shopping centers, airports, tourist places, among others. Officials of the National Coast Guard Service will be monitoring the expected crowded beaches. Airport Police officers will be focused on maintaining security and crime prevention in the three main airports in the country, Juan Santamaría in Alajuela, Daniel Oduber in Guanacaste and Tobías Bolaños in San José. Officers of the Air Surveillance Service will carry out aerial patrols and ambulance flights, focusing especially on tourist hotspots. Border Police officers will focus on monitoring the areas with the highest influx of tourism and shops in the border areas. --------------------------- What are some safety precautions taken during the holidays to avoid being robbed? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com  |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
