police tourism unit

Policing Tourist Areas: Working Where Others Play

Law enforcement officers who work in tourism towns have a two-fold mission, protecting the locals and protecting the droves of tourists that the locals depend upon for their livelihood and their departments depend upon for operating funds. That may sound crass but law enforcement agencies in destination areas have to be aware of the numbers and what they mean.

American tourism is big business. In one month international visitors to the United States can spend more than $15.4 billion. And that's expected to rise. The National Travel and Tourism Strategy, launched in 2012, was created to draw 100 million international visitors to the U.S. by 2021 with hopes of having them spend $250 billion annually. And that's just international visitors. Your fellow Americans are also traveling to U.S. tourist sites and opening wide their wallets.

Destination areas have two populations: the year-round locals and the visitors. A small beach town of 50,000 can swell to 10 times that size during the summer. The agency serving that town has to have resources and personnel well beyond what it could afford if its budget were based on the local tax base. So tourism dollars are the life's blood for such an agency.

To keep the tourism dollars flowing, destination area officers must ensure that both the visitors and the locals are safe and secure, all while maintaining the fun and friendly atmosphere that attracts people to the area. Officers in tourism areas have to be adept at crime prevention, crime response, and crime fighting, all while keeping smiles on their faces.

The following is a look at what it's like to work some of the nation's busiest playgrounds.

Out on I-Drive

The Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office has one of the nation's most enviable and challenging tourism jurisdictions, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and all of the other theme parks and tourist attractions just outside of Orlando.

Capt. Gil McDaniel says he and the other officers of the Orange County SO must always be aware that their job is to protect and serve not only the locals, but the area's 56 million visitors per year, including presidential candidates, foreign dignitaries, and celebrities.

Working the International Drive corridor (I-Drive in local parlance), which is lined with theme parks, hotels, restaurants, and one of the nation's largest convention centers, McDaniel oversees 76 deputies who are supported by tactical and mounted patrol units and traffic and motorcycle squads. "Overall this is one of the safest places on Earth. Our crimes are crimes of opportunities. The biggest thorn in my side is car burglaries," he says.

McDaniel believes that people have a tendency to forget basic street smarts when they arrive in Orlando. "On vacation, you're here to unwind and have fun, you're drinking in all the beauty and the cool stuff you see, and so you might not be on your guard so much," he says. "You might be shopping at Coach and then stick your bags in your car seat where anyone walking by can see, and not lock your door."

Hotel burglaries tend to be another crime of opportunity against unwary tourists. McDaniel says tourists sometimes prop open their hotel room doors because one of their kids has the room key down at the pool. Other tourists might leave say a computer tablet in the business center when they use the restroom, and when they return, it's gone, along with a wealth of personal information.

The theft of personal information and identity fraud is a growing problem in America's tourist areas, and McDaniel says these scammers like to hit travelers when they are most vulnerable. He explains how "pizza flyer guys" will slip a flyer under a tourist's door offering great prices for credit card purchase and then, after a long day of sightseeing, that tourist will come back to the room and order the $12.99 large pepperoni. The scammers now have the tourist's credit card number, and the tourist never even gets a pizza.

Orange County SO has forged a community-driven strategy to combat crimes against tourists. As part of this strategy, officers are encouraged to take the time to have friendly chats with residents, tourists, business owners, and security from the theme parks like Sea World. "We are grippin' and greetin,' meeting people," McDaniel says. He explains that Orange County SO deputies might take a picture with a kid or talk with hotel security, but they're working—even if it just looks like they're chatting. Through all this grippin' and greetin' Orange County SO deputies are actually building relationships and pushing the Sheriff's message of "if you see something, say something," according to McDaniel.

But community policing and tips are just one part of Orange County SO's crime prevention effort. Another major element of the agency's strategy is identifying hot spots using Compstat.

"Every morning on my phone, I get stats on my district…and direct resources to it. It's like insider trading. Now we're getting [stats] in real time, so we're always on it," McDaniel says. He explains that the agency uses Compstat to map patterns and uses this data to "find, fix, and arrest" the perpetrators.

Enforcing the law in a tourist area requires a different way of policing, McDaniel confirms. "With all these heads and beds, we need all of these hotel rooms to be full and these people eating in restaurants because the tourist core is our economic core."

How does that translate to policing? "If I stop a resident in traffic…they know the laws and should know better, so they'll probably get a ticket. But if one of our officers sees someone who is driving strangely and stops that person and finds he is from Europe in a rental car, having trouble driving on the right side of the road or lost, that officer is likely to be more sympathetic and correct the behavior."

Says McDaniel: "At the end of the day it's customer service. Some deputies don't like when I say this, but we protect and serve our customers. They don't need John Wayne chewing on a toothpick. They need someone better, more polished…if you're unprofessional, yelling at people…you're affecting everyone in this county. You may be the only contact this tourist has with Americans. They may have saved up for five years to go on this vacation with their five kids."

It's a Small World

Across the country in another Orange County, the Anaheim (Calif.) Police Department patrols another theme park corridor, including the granddaddy of them all, Disneyland.

"We don't see an increase in crime as a result of having resort areas," says Lt. Bob Dunn, Anaheim PD's public information officer. He explains the department's strategy to prevent crimes against both locals and tourists is to build networks and promote communication with all elements of the community.

"The more we visit and engage with people and let them know what would make them a victim, the more we see it does prevent [crime]," Dunn says.

The Anaheim PD produces a PSA of safety tips and has worked with hotels to place it on the guest TV channel. The department is active on social media, too. And it trains "Resort Ambassadors," volunteer foot patrols that provide directions and act as an information source.

Anaheim PD has found partnerships to be a crucial part of its public safety strategy. These partnerships include working with Disney security, other theme park personnel, hotel staff, and other key players. The agency also keeps up with best practices at tourism policing conferences, and has helped businesses set up a Crime Alert Network. The network lets participants share information about various criminal activities; for example, someone stealing credit cards.

And like its counterpart in Orange County, Fla., the Anaheim PD boasts a robust crime analysis unit that spots trends such as analyzing repeat 911 call locations. "Every week we have a crime meeting where we study calls for service," Dunn says. "We have conversations about the best approaches to this information, how to get it solved, how to prevent it."

Edge of the Smokies

Gatlinburg, Tenn., Police Chief Randy Brackins agrees policing tourist areas requires a bit more finesse than policing other locations. "It's definitely different from normal policing," he says. "We have to be very hospitable."

Gatlinburg's population is 4,100, but overnight in peak season it swells to anywhere from 45,000 to 65,000. The Fourth of July parade, which starts the night of July 3, draws 60,000 to 80,000 folks to the town's sidewalks.

Like Orange County SO's McDaniel, Brackins says tourists can find themselves victims by not being cautious. "Maybe they've had an extra drink or two, and they're walking around town more relaxed, not on guard as much. They get caught up in visiting shops and don't pay as much attention," he explains.

While Gatlinburg has some theft from visitors leaving behind cell phones or cameras, Brackins say his main problem is bottlenecked traffic through town, as route 441 leads into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg uses walking patrols and bicycle patrols on the "packed" sidewalks.

"We have as many officers out there as we can see," Brackins says. In peak season, they overlap a 10-hour shift. "Our goal is to reduce crime and have a higher quality of visitor experience. If they're safe and feel good, they see officers around, they have a better vacation and feel at ease. It makes them want to come back. We want you (our visitors) to just be yourself and not worry about crime…we have to worry about crime."

Brackins says partnerships are key to crime prevention in tourism areas. His officers regularly meet with the Gatlinburg Merchants Association and have established a notification system that lets them alert officers to specific concerns such as "counterfeit 20s or suspicious persons."

Falling Water

Head north of Buffalo, N.Y., and across the Canadian border and you will see 6 million cubic feet of water gushing every minute. You'll also meet officers who understand what it takes to police a tourist area.

"It is unique, different from policing any other area," reports Staff Sgt. Brian Ash of the Niagara Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada. Ash says his region has quadrupled in population over the past 15 years. The region covers two casinos, a large convention center, and 100,000 hotel rooms. And, like the Gatlinburg area, the region's population balloons from May to Labor Day and during special events (like when Nik Wallenda walks across the Falls on a tightrope.)

Policing in the Niagara region can be different because it is transient for victims—and for criminals. The bad guys come to the area, which is target rich—and move on. Their primary source of criminal income while in the Niagara region is vehicle burglary and vehicle theft.

"Tourists are more likely to have valuables on them or in their vehicles, more money, more belongings….and there's so many vehicles available [in parking lots]. So the thieves can find high-end vehicles they're interested in stealing," Ash says.

Besides lost or stolen property, including passports, the casino district has alcohol-related calls, bar fights, and hotel evictions, particularly when hotels rent at a lower rate in the off season. The police also track crime data through an analyst and learn if certain parking lots of a hotel are hit at certain hours.

"We're out there with proactive things; we stay ahead of it with a higher visibility plan to be in those parking lots and do covert things, too," Ash says. "We'll put an undercover in, and someone may end up stealing from the wrong vehicle."

Fighting Back

"The bad guys are looking through binoculars at lost tourists, and they see easy pickings," says Dr. Ken Peak, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Nevada Reno, co-author of the 2004 Department of Justice guide "Crimes Against Tourists" and author of 30 law enforcement books. "So there are obvious venues, special events, sites that are magnets for people. It's like the 'Vacation' movies with Chevy Chase. People get in a rental car, there's poor signage, and before you know it they're lost and can be a target."

Peak, a former police officer, believes the answer to crime in tourism area is technology such as Compstat and predictive policing, not dummy cameras or empty police cars. He says crime can be subtle, not on the radar screen. You're not aware until you get a cluster. "We have to be able to identify crimes against the tourists and act against them. Because individual police retire, forget, but computers remember."

All departments contacted for this article told POLICE they analyze data but don't keep tourism crime statistics.

So maybe the best approach to policing in a tourist area was voiced by Orange County SO's McDaniel. "Get out of your car. Go meet people. You know the old adage 'It takes a village to raise a child'?" he asks. "Well it takes a village to police it. You can't rely on a cop in a car anymore. We must share information and come together. It works this way. Everyone pitches in, they help us, we help them."

Kristine Meldrum Denholm is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C., and a frequent contributor to POLICE . She wrote for ATF's press office for 10 years.

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Small Towns, Big Crowds: Policing Tourist Destinations

August 2019 | Volume 12 | Issue 7

Tourists do the darndest things: leave hotel room doors propped open, wade into traffic with eyes fixed on cell phones, and climb lamp posts to take selfies, to name a few. They sometimes feel as if local laws and safety precautions don’t apply when they’re on holiday. Or, as one police chief remarked, “Some leave their brains at home when they go on vacation.”

All of this can make policing tourist destinations challenging—especially in small towns, such as beach or mountain resorts, whose populations may grow ten- or even hundredfold in peak season. Dealing with the additional load on their services and personnel may not be easy, but many local departments have found ways to keep both visitors and community safe and happy while not breaking the bank.

Extra Eyes and Ears for the Force

Community policing is especially important in these destinations, where police rely on hotel clerks, bartenders, boutique owners, and others who are on the front line of the tourist scene to be their eyes and ears. In Sturgis, South Dakota, which holds a ten day motorcycle rally and music festival that attracts around 500,000 additional people to the town of 7,000 every July, Police Chief Geody VanDewater holds a pre-rally meeting with bars and liquor establishments.

“I want to have working relationships with these individuals so that if I have issues, or they do, we have direct contact with each other,” he says. There have been shootings in these bars, and their staff have helped the department by giving statements. They have their own security, but rely on us to remove intoxicated and unruly patrons.”

”Community policing is important to us in other ways too,” VanDewater adds. “We encourage our officers to have friendly interaction with tourists as well as locals, and they do interact, chatting and taking pictures with people. They enjoy doing it too because pretty much everybody is friendly during the rally.”

Internships for Seasonal Officers

Class One Special Law Enforcement Officers (SLEO I) are trained and empowered to issue summonses for parking and local ordinance enforcement, and for minor incidents such as disorderly behavior, but they do not carry a firearm. While employed, Class Two Seasonal Law Enforcement Officers (SLEO II) have the authority and arrest powers of fulltime police officers, and they carry a firearm. Most SLEOs are studying criminal justice and all get credit for the internship from their colleges.

Off Duty Cops and Safety Ambassadors 

The Sturgis Police Department usually hires 15 volunteer officers, who come in from all over the country to work full-time during the rally. Some are employed by other agencies and take leave to do this; others are retired. According to Chief VanDewater, they come for the camaraderie. “One guy has been doing this for 41 years,” he says. “To recruit, we put the word out through emails, in social media, and in local fusion centers. We outfit them with grey polo shirts and feed them, but they work for the fun of it.”

Though they are not employees of the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Police Department , Safety Ambassadors hired by Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. and managed by the Block by Block Company are assets to the department. Block by Block provides safety, cleaning, and outreach services to downtown improvement districts in customizable programs, which Grand Rapids adapted to their public safety needs.

Many of their Ambassadors receive training in skills such as physical and mental health first aid, treating drug overdoses, and spotting sex trafficking. Though not trained to intervene in crime, they have been credited with stopping a potential burglary and a domestic abuse situation. Just as importantly, they know how to be good witnesses and call the police for assistance or to report a crime. According to Rebecca Krenz, Operations Manager of the Downtown Grand Rapids Ambassador Program , “We're feet on the streets and often first on the scene when things happen.” 

Recruitment and Housing Options

Yet recruitment isn’t always easy, even in desirable vacation locations. A big obstacle is housing. The Ocean City (Maryland) Police Departmental Housing Program leases homes, which they sublease at cost to seasonal employees. They also have a Housing Alternatives List, with contact information for departmental officers, officers from other agencies, and friends of the department with houses or rooms for rent. Another option is their Facebook group, where seasonal employees can discuss housing and find roommates.

Sources for Financial Support

There are additional sources for funding as well. Chief Marino of the Cape May Police Department suggests trying foundations supported by various companies. “The WaWa Foundation , which supports a Heroes Award, provided funding for load bearing vests for our officers, to lessen the load on their duty belts, which can cause back programs. Companies like that may fund other needs. It may be possible to find someone in the community to do research and writing for grant funding.”

In some cities and larger resort destinations, tourist boards fund law enforcement efforts to maintain public safety. According to a June 4, 2018 article in the Tennessean newspaper, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp provides its city police department with an annual grant of $100,000 to ensure tourist safety, and also pays for police overtime at special events.

In Nevada, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority funds an analyst at the Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center who is responsible for sharing safety information from the police department with the tourism community, and acts as a liaison between event producers, resort partners, and local public safety agencies. 1

The Bottom Line

Tourism is a growing source of employment and revenue throughout our country. According to the U.S. Travel Association , direct spending by domestic and international travelers in the U.S. averaged $3 billion a day for a total of $1.1 trillion in 2018. According to the association’s Travel Impact Calculator , the economic impact of a 4.95 percent increase in 2019 travel spending could result in almost $4 billion in additional state and local tax revenues, which could fund the hiring of an additional 60,300 American law enforcement officers.

What’s more, the benefits of tourism extend beyond the revenue, to the interactions that all members of the community, including law enforcement officers, have with people from all over the U.S. and the world. Like other members of the community, the men and women in blue are ambassadors for their towns and for our country, and their contacts with travelers can leave a positive lasting impression.  

Tourism will continue to pose challenges as it grows, but creative approaches to meeting them will open new opportunities for relationships and collaboration within and outside of their community—a win-win for everybody.

Faye Elkins Sr. Technical Writer

Sources for More Information

Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: Training Curricula Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement

References: 1. https://skift.com/2018/07/16/tourism-boards-offer-funding-to-city-police-departments-to-boost-security/

Resources for Further Reading

Effects of the Hypervigilance Biological Rollercoaster

2. Fox, J., Desai, M.M., Britten, K., Lucas, G., Luneau, R., & Rosenthal, M.S. (2012). Mental-Health Conditions, Barriers to Care, and Productivity Loss Among Officers in An Urban Police Department. Connecticut Medicine , 76 (9): 525-531.

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Overtourism as Destination Risk

ISBN : 978-1-83909-707-2 , eISBN : 978-1-83909-706-5

Publication date: 13 May 2021

Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors and plays a key role for the economy of various countries. Tourism sector provides lot of opportunities and challenges to its stakeholders. Tourist's safety and security plays a vital role to increase the tourists to a location. Tourism policing plays an essential role to build destination image. Governments are making many efforts through tourism policing to protect the safety and security of the domestic and foreign tourist and also to handle overtourism and enhance responsible tourism. This paper analyses the importance of tourism policing to attract more tourists and its impact on tourist destination image building.

• Overtourism
• Tourism policing
• Tourism marketing
• Destination image
• Tourist safety
• Responsible tourism

Ganesan, M. and Athimuthu, R. (2021), "Role of Tourism Policing to Improve Tourist Destination Image", Sharma, A. and Hassan, A. (Ed.) Overtourism as Destination Risk ( Tourism Security-Safety and Post Conflict Destinations ), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 187-199. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83909-706-520211013

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Tourism Unit

The unit is a nontraditional extension of the Council organizational structure, which has been working aggressively to promote and sustain an environment that encourages the growth of the Tourism industry in the City. With the City being the main port of entry for Cruise Tourism, newly created opportunities are surfacing which call for entrepreneurial activity, and which can significantly increase the level of commercial activity in the City.

The Council's Tourism Unit works very closely with the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) which is the organization that concentrates on tourism on a national level. The Council's Tourism Unit's primary responsibilities include: the monitoring of vendors and various operations that occur within the fort Street Tourism Area, communicating with the Tourism Police Unit to address the safety of visitors and vendors in the area, and working with the Belize tourism Board to continuously assess and develop the City's Tourism Industry.

Persons that would like to find out more information about services that are offered by the Tourism Unit may contact our office at telephone (501) 227-7205.

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Tourism Police Unit was established in 2004 as a community policing initiative to proactively deal with crimes perpetrated against tourists. The Unit was first launched at Victoria Falls as a pilot project but it has since cascaded to other tourist resort centres like the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, Chinhoyi Caves and Kariba Dam.

Tourism Police officers are also found in all the country’s entry and exit points and identifiable through their reflective vests inscribed  ZRP Tourism Police Unit .

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Tourist Police for Tourism Security: A Model Proposal for Police Organizations

Related Papers

Mehmet Murat PAYAM

It is obvious that tourism is a critical revenue source for many countries and visitors are affected by the perception of safety and security at the destinations. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism continues to be one of the world's largest sectors. In addition to this, Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report considers safety and security to be a pillar of tourism competitiveness with 'reliability of police services' a central anchor. As any safety or security mishap can destroy a tourism destination's reputation, the safety and security of tourists should be a matter of national security. In this context, it is believed that tourism police help create the destination image. For this purpose, the Tourist Police Unit should be set up in order to provide safety and security to tourists. Any investments in tourism oriented policing will be an investment in the economic future of the destination and the country. If a country wants to increase its competitiveness in the tourism industry, tourist police system must be introduced as soon as possible. The objective then is to become one of the top five most visited safe and secure destinations in the world. There should be consensus on the necessity to introduce a separate Tourism Police Unit at least in major cities such as Antalya, İstanbul and Konya. In short this paper provides an overview of tourism security and concentrates on the world of Tourism Oriented Policing and Protection services (TOPPs).

สิริพร คิดเห็น

Liliana Popescu

For many countries, tourism is considered as having a great economic importance, with quite a large share in the country’s GDP. Hence, the number of foreign tourists is highly important. But worldwide, the threats and dangers are more frequent, and consequently tourists are becoming more aware of the necessity of a safe destination. Foreign tourists are educated in the spirit of touristic safety, and when choosing a particular destination, this aspect is of utmost importance. The image of the country or any touristic destination depends on the quality of the touristic products, which include not only the natural and cultural patrimony or the economic environment, but also the social and political climate, state order and citizens’ safety. A country with a good image for safe tourism can use it as a competitive advantage and attract different segments of the international tourism market. The paper presents some of the safety issues in tourism, focusing on the main aspects of tourism safety in Romania, based on the travel and tourism competitiveness index, with special focus on the third pillar – Safety and Security and the results of an on-line survey with managers and employees in tourism activities.

23rd International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development Proceedings

Petar Kurecic

The paper represents a product of mentor-graduate student cooperation, developed at the graduate study of Business Economics, major Tourism. Following the latest threatening events and having in mind those yet to come, we can conclude that no country can benefit from the tourism industry if at the same time does not develop its security system as an integral part of the standard tourist offer. Analyzing the trends in contemporary tourism, the safety and security issues became the decisive factors for the choice of a certain destination. Consequently, countries must not perceive security systems and measures as an unnecessary expense but as an essential element in organizing their tourist services. All hotels and respectable tourist agencies should have a crisis management, with detailed, thoroughly elaborated procedures for emergency situations. Tourists should be timely informed about the potential dangers and risks and the measures taken to prevent them, as well as on procedures for emergency situations. Additionally, it would be good to have mobile applications that would enable tourists to make direct emergency calls with instructions on behavior in crisis situations. It is also essential to implement and put into effect sophisticated security measures such as using surveillance cameras, controlling access to buildings, information exchange with colleagues and neighbors, reporting the suspicious occurrences to the security services, and training staff for crisis management. Having in mind everything stated above, the security issue is definitely one of the crucial factors in the development of tourism in a certain country.

C. Michael Hall

The article provides a review of the expansion of the concept of security and the relationship of security to tourism. It is argued that the concept of security has become transformed from one of collective security and common defence to embrace notions of common and cooperative security. Despite the damage done to the concept of collective security because of the United States led invasion of Iraq, the development of common security structures through collective, multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations remains important for the expansion of security concerns to cover the environment, health and economic threats. The article also notes that tourism and supranational tourism organizations have little influence on peace and security agendas although such agendas are important for tourism. Nevertheless, particularly at the micro-level, appropriate tourism development may serve as a means to ward off potential future conflict over resource and environmental security. Keywords: Collective security; common security; environmental security; tourism security; invasion of Iraq also published in: Hall, C.M., Timothy, D. and Duval, D. 2004, Security and tourism: towards a new understanding? pp.1-18 in Safety and Security in Tourism: Relationships, Management and Marketing, eds C.M. Hall, D. Duval, D. & D. Timothy, Haworth Press, New York.

akademikpersonel.duzce.edu.tr

osman uzun , Haldun Müderrisoglu

Maximiliano E. Korstanje

The chapter explores the problem of terrorism and security in tourism fields. Certainly, plans and policies provided by guidebooks are not being followed in disasters. Simply chaos and disorder are the nature of emergencies. Beyond any protocol, crises and security are not properly defined by scholars. In this essay-review, the authors do not define what tourism security means. Instead, they view it through the lens of three senior scholars, Sevil Somnez, Abraham Pizam, and Peter Tarlow, who have accomplished this task. They have explored not only the roots of terrorism but also security over 20 years. Despite the criticism, they deserve recognition for this legacy. Based on substantial point of divergence, these specialists are concerned by the financial dependency of societies respecting mass media and its coverage of terrorist attacks.

Korstanje M Towards the end of tourism?. International Journal of Safety and Security in Tourism & Hospitality. Número 17. Septiembre 2017. Disponible en http://www.palermo.edu/Archivos_content/2017/Economicas/journal-tourism/edicion17/PAPER-4.pdf. Center of Business Research and Studies, University of Palermo, Argentina. ISSN 2250-5105

Yoel Mansfeld

■ To understand the process of theory building in the field of tourism security. ■ To understand the importance of theory building as part of developing appropriate strategies to control the negative impacts security incidents have on the tourism system. ■ To become acquainted with the fundamentals of tourism security theory. ■ To become familiar with the nature of security incidents. ■ To understand the array of impact security incidents have on tourists, the tourism industry, and the host community. ■ To become aware of future research directions needed in order to refine or redefine tourism security theory.

Diana Foris

The study deals with the importance of public policies and strategies for tourism in the context of the current situation of insecurity generated by the terrorist attacks. Reviewing the current tense situation, the terrorist threat is growing, thus we identify the effects on tourism and travel. Analyzing the factors that may cause the intensification or reduction of tourism development is carried out through the prism of their coverage under the public policy upon tourism, as well as the influence of these factors relating to their employment with the impact on tourism in the category of stimulating factors or those of constraints, favoring the aspects that determine or brake tourism. In this respect, it is analyzed the influence of public policies of investments in general and touristic infrastructure, of public policies with social component, of public policies with an organizational-administrative component and of public policies with political component. It is analyzed the need of security policies, public policies with a political component, with the organizational and administrative component of government policies to ensure the development of tourism and travel industry. In light of, we focus on the strategies on the national tourism master and marketing plans, in an analysis of the situation at the international level.

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Moscow 'Tourist Police' Elusive as Initiative Takes Effect

Despite the announcement that a force of 100 so-called tourist police would begin monitoring Moscow's most iconic destinations on Tuesday, confusion reigned among the officers patrolling Red Square.

The Moscow police department announced earlier that a league of officers armed with foreign language proficiency and tourist-friendly interpersonal skills would take to the streets to patrol the city center.

When approached at random with touristy questions in English about the locations of popular  landmarks like St. Basil's Cathedral, Sokolniki Park and the Izmailovo Market, police officers around Red Square found themselves unable to assist.

"This is the first time I'm hearing anything about this," one officer said.

When asked whether Moscow actually boasts a tourist police force, another officer responded: "not yet."

Only one of the eight police officers approached proved capable of assisting an English-speaker.

"These are not classic tourist police like you might see in Spain during vacation season," said Sergei Spilko, chairman of the Moscow Committee for Tourism and Hospitality Management. "The format is a little different. The police officers underwent basic language training and they were taught how to best communicate with foreigners. This is only the beginning. I think it would be possible to expand this operation in the future."

The Moscow Police had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.

In the summertime, Moscow's tourist police are mandated to patrol heavily touristed parts of the city around the clock.

They will be assisted on a part-time basis by 30 volunteers from the Moscow State Tourist Industry Institute with knowledge of a variety of foreign languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese.

"When there are tourists, there is work," said Vladimir Berezin, the director of the  Moscow State Tourist Industry Institute's volunteer center. "And when you have work, you earn a salary. Our students understand this. So we are trying our best to make the city a more tourist-friendly place."

The Moscow State Tourist Industry Institute runs a separate volunteer program aimed at assisting non-Russian speaking tourists in need. Easily recognizable by their bright red "Welcome to Moscow" T-shirts, volunteers can be found scattered around the city center.

"Russians are very friendly people once they get to know you," Berezin said. "But they don't always smile at you when you are not acquainted with them. Among many things, we teach our students how to smile."

In a TripAdvisor survey asking tourists to rank 37 cities in terms of the "best overall experience," Moscow finished third to last. The Russian capital also finished last in the "helpful locals" category. The survey, published in May, was based on the opinions of 54,000 respondents.

In 2013, 5.6 million tourists visited Moscow. Foreigners from non-CIS countries, whose lingua franca is often English, outnumbered citizens of CIS states among Moscow's tourists last year, according to municipal authorities.

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Baltimore city police arson unit investigating fire at site of mass shooting.

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The City Police Arson Unit is investigating a fire that broke out Wednesday night at a building next to Sunday's mass shooting, 11 News Investigates has learned.

36-year-old Anthony Martin died, and seven others were wounded . Police have made no arrests.

The site of the fire is a warehouse-type structure located in the 1300 block of North Spring Street. The city has cited the owner several times over the years for things like not having proper permits for business use and bulk trash complaints, 11 News Investigates learned.

Aubrey Carter, a leader in the Oliver community, spent part of Thursday handing out flyers and announcing a meeting about the building, its tenants and the shooting.

"Particularly the noise, the motorcycles, the crowds, parking on the grass and things like that. They've raised a number of concerns," said Carter, who is part of The People's Association of the Oliver Community. "We have tried to address it with them by meeting with them to work out some solution."

Police confirmed they are looking into whether a motorcycle club is at the center of the shooting. According to neighbors, members frequently gather at the building. They believe Sunday's shooting was over an argument about a parking spot .

11 News Investigates found numerous citations against the building's owner, Oscar Alfredo Portillo, who could not be reached for comment.

City Housing issued two citations in May 2024 for not having business permits. The notice named Moon Motorcycle Transport Company and a nonprofit called Natural Born Champions.

In 2021, the city cited the owner for improperly operating a nightclub that included live entertainment and for storing motorcycles.

And, in 2017, the city put the owner on notice for improperly using the property for storing sewer and manhole construction materials.

The CEO of the nonprofit said smoke damage closed her shop which helps young people start businesses.

Markia Beckwith told 11 News Investigates she often mediated disputes between neighbors and the motorcycle club.

The guys were always helpful to me," Beckwith said. "They made sure I was safe. If I needed to lift heavy things, always lend a helping hand."

There are stiff fines for not complying with the citations. The community meeting is at 6 p.m. at Knox Presbyterian Church in the 1300 block of Eden Street.

Mobile police officer seen on patrol after being assigned to two-person unit due to multiple crashes

MOBILE, Ala. ( WALA ) - FOX10 News continues to press for answers from Mobile police about one of their officers with a questionable driving record.

Officer Roy Adams Jr. remains on patrol after four crashes this year alone, one was deadly.

FOX10 Investigates: Mobile police officer involved in four crashes, 1 deadly, remains on patrol

For the first time, FOX10 News caught Officer Adams on the streets days after we were told he was no longer driving a patrol car.

Officer Adams was recently assigned to a two-person unit...meaning he’s no longer driving.

On Tuesday afternoon a car crash happened around 3:00 on Government Boulevard near MPD headquarters.

One person was taken to the hospital.

Officer Adams was directing traffic and was seen getting into the passenger seat of a Mobile Police SUV.

Friends of the motorcyclist killed in July, Sumner Howard, are speaking out and want answers.

Howard died after colliding with Officer Adams’ police car in midtown Mobile.

Howard’s family attorney recently sent a notice of claim to the city of Mobile for a “wrongful death.”

Family of motorcyclist killed in crash with MPD officer files notice of claim for “wrongful death”

A close friend Dr. Tonya Butler says Sumner, who goes by Kahuna, would have just celebrated a birthday.

“It was his 68th birthday. And all you got to do is look at our Facebook posts and you’ll see the hundreds of people who are missing him,” Dr. Tonya Butler said. “He left a hole not only in our hearts but he left a hole in this community. He was taken from us too soon.”

According to the crash report, Officer Adams was responding to an emergency call.

MPD has refused to tell us what that emergency call was.

We’ve also asked for the “calls for service” around the time of the crash, but we’re being told that information is not public record.

Copyright 2024 WALA. All rights reserved.

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A rip current statement in effect for coastal broward and coastal miami dade regions, police: hialeah man killed mother, injured sister and grandmother in stabbing spree, alex gonzalez jr., 30, fatally shot by police.

Amanda Batchelor , Digital Executive Producer

Roy Ramos , Reporter

HIALEAH, Fla. – Hialeah police identified the suspect and victims Thursday, a day after a fatal domestic stabbing spree.

The suspect was identified as 30-year-old Alex Gonzalez Jr.

Police said Gonzalez fatally stabbed his mother, Madeline Gonzalez, early Wednesday morning at their home on the corner of West 43rd Place and West Fifth Court, just a day before she would have turned 50. They said he also stabbed his 17-year-old sister, Amanda Gonzalez, and his 69-year-old grandmother, Rosa Gonzalez.

“One thing about my aunt -- she was very, very nice to her son. She never talked bad about her son even though he had issues,” said Alexandra Morales, the cousin of Alex Gonzalez. “Getting betrayed by your own family is I think one of the worst things to go through.”

Both of the surviving victims were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, but their conditions have not been released.

According to Hialeah police Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, the stabbing spree was reported around 4:25 a.m. Wednesday.

“As officers arrived, they were met by one victim, who appeared to be stabbed outside of the home,” Rodriguez said in an email to Local 10. “Inside of the home were two additional stabbing victims, as well as an armed suspect.”

According to Rodriguez, officers were rending aid to the victims when a confrontation ensued between the suspect and officers.

The sound of multiple gunshots being fired can be heard in a video taken outside the home as officers were in the doorway of the house.

Rodriguez confirmed that officers were forced to discharge their guns and that Alex Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Madeline Gonzalez was also pronounced dead at the scene.

“Getting betrayed by your own family is I think one of the worst things to go through and the way that he did it -- it is a really messed up situation honestly all around,” Morales said. “It is very shocking. Not even a stranger that doesn’t even know you could do that. It is sad.”

A woman who asked not to be identified and lives in a unit across from where the stabbings occurred described the moment she woke up to screams with one of the victims knocking on her door for help.

“It was three ladies and all of them were screaming, like asking to call the police,” she said. “I saw that she had more than seven stabs -- one on her shoulder and the other one on her neck -- and she started asking for water and help.”

“I just heard the police telling him to put the knife down,” the woman added. “They said, ‘Let me see your hands,’ but he refused, and that’s when I heard the gunshots.”

Morales told Local 10 News that her cousin suffered from mental health issues and was known to abuse drugs.

“I never really felt comfortable being around him because of that,” she said.

As a grandmother and her granddaughter are now physically trying to recover, the family as a whole is devastated by the unexpected tragedy.

“There’s times where I am like, man, I wish they would’ve let him live because I wanted to hear what he had to say and what drove him to do that,” Morales said.

Rodriguez said the police shooting will be investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is the Hialeah Police Department’s protocol.

He said the stabbings also remain under investigation. A motive remains unclear.

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About the Authors

Amanda batchelor.

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St. Thomas University.

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Hialeah pd: officers fatally shoot suspect after 3 stabbed at home.

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Gov't teams up with Interpol for major operation against K-content pirates

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency logo [YONHAP]

The government will begin a five-month surveillance operation to crack down on online pirates infringing on Korean content creators’ copyrights, in collaboration with police and Interpol, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday.

The operation follows President Yoon Suk Yeol’s directive for government ministries to cooperate in preventing the illegal distribution and consumption of Korean content online, as part of a broader effort to promote K-content to a global audience.

Related Article

Korean anti-piracy unit takes part in multinational operation, kakao's piracy task force prevents billions of won's worth of damage to webtoonists, culture ministry, gov't agencies aim to stop k-content exploitation at seoul copyright summit.

This year’s surveillance will focus on large-scale illegal websites that are causing significant damage to the content industry, according to the Culture Ministry. These websites provide pirated content for free with the aim of luring users into illegal R-rated content and gambling services, the ministry said. Such websites typically operate on overseas servers to evade Korean investigative forces.

The Culture Ministry and police will operate a special task force to monitor and report on targeted pirates and maintain close communication with Interpol. Any criminal activities will be immediately monitored, and their profits confiscated, the ministry said.

“We vow to bring fairness and order to the online content market by not only investigating illegal K-content websites but also blocking their criminal profits,” a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official said. “This will lead to K-content being rightly distributed on the global stage and contribute to the betterment of the global content industry.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]

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North Korea to reopen for tourism after five years

North Korea will reopen one city to foreign tourists in December after nearly five years of border closures due to the Covid pandemic, according to tour operators.

At least two China-based operators announced that tourists will soon be allowed to visit the mountainous northern city of Samjiyon.

Reclusive North Korea sealed itself off at the start of the pandemic in early 2020, and started to scale back restrictions only in the middle of last year.

The border closures also cut off imports of essential goods, leading to food shortages that were made worse by international sanctions because of the country's nuclear programme.

"So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!!" Shenyang's KTG Tours wrote on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

Beijing's Koryo Tour said tourists could "potentially" visit other parts of North Korea in December.

"Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again," it said Wednesday on its website.

Koryo Tours told the BBC that the North Korean authorities were allowing tourists from any country to join the trips, apart from South Korea. However, the US bans its citizens from travelling to North Korea.

Chad O'Carroll, CEO of US-based analysis firm Korea Risk Group, flagged doubts around the reopening announcement.

"I will believe it when I see it," he told the BBC. "For now, I am quite sceptical we will see any real movement in December."

Samjiyon has been undergoing major redevelopment in recent years, with Mr Kim revealing plans in July to rebuild its airport, convert a military ski base into a resort, and build new railways and hotels for foreign tourists, according to state media.

Mr Kim said at the time that plans to “revitalise international tourism” would be aimed at visitors from “friendly” nations.

Mr O'Carroll pointed out, however, that Samjiyong's redevelopment is incomplete.

"If it does get completed in time, I can imagine only Russian tourists and possibly Chinese visiting in any real numbers at first," he said. "Unless [the Democratic Republic of Korea] offers direct Samjiyon flights to a neutral connection country like Mongolia."

Samjiyon lies on the foot of North Korea's tallest mountain Paektu, which straddles the China-North Korea border, and is known for its winter attractions.

Pyongyang's propaganda says the mountain is where North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung battled Japanese occupation forces and launched the revolution. He is the grandfather of current president Kim Jong Un.

It also claims Paektu is where the incumbent's father, Kim Jong Il, was born.

KCNA reported in July that the Mount Paektu-Samjiyon zone was envisioned to be a “four-season mountainous tourist area to meet the cultural and emotional needs of the people on the highest level and revitalise international tourism.”

North Korea has only allowed Russian tourists to enter the country since early 2024, amid warming ties between the two nations.

It was only in August last year that North Korea allowed the return of citizens who were locked out because of border controls , one of the last few countries to do so.

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Fatal Crash Investigation in the Steele Creek Division

Published on August 21, 2024

Charlotte, N.C. – (Wednesday, August 21, 2024)  – Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) Major Crash Investigation Unit are investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash in the Steele Creek Division. 

On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, shortly after 3:30 a.m., officers responded to a motor vehicle crash with injuries at the intersection of Westinghouse Boulevard at Granite Street.  The Charlotte Fire Department and MEDIC also responded to the scene. Upon arrival, officers located a Kia Sorento with extensive front-end damage and a Freightliner truck with damage to the right cargo bed. The driver of the Kia, Renard Adams, 34, was located inside of the vehicle with serious injuries and later pronounced deceased by MEDIC due to injuries he sustained from this crash.  

Detectives with the Major Crash Investigation Unit and DWI Task Force responded to the scene to conduct their investigation. Members of Crime Scene Search responded to process the scene and collect physical evidence. The preliminary investigation indicates the Freightliner truck was attempting to make a left from Westinghouse Boulevard onto Granite Street when it was struck by the Kia Sorento. The driver of the Freightliner, Andrew Sansberry Jr., 64, was not injured.

Toxicology results are pending for Mr. Adams.

Mr. Adams’ next of kin has been notified of his death.  

The investigation into this crash is active and ongoing.  As additional information develops, it will be released by the CMPD’s Public Affairs Office.  Any person who witnessed the crash or has information about this crash is asked to call Detective Kupfer at 704-432-2169, Ext. 1.  The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600 or  http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/ .   For additional information about this crash, please refer to the report: 20240820-0338-01.

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