ICT donates uniforms and strengthens the growth of the Tourist Police

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) donated approximately 50 million colones worth of uniforms, capes, jackets, and other complementary clothing to the 320 officers of the Tourist Police, a specialized unit dedicated to preventing and containing the most common crimes affecting domestic and international tourists. The donation was delivered on the morning of Tuesday, February 17, at the Ministry of Public Security in Zapote.

This contribution is the result of the cooperation agreement signed between the ICT and the Ministry of Public Security since August 2024, which allows the provision of equipment and clothing.

According to details provided by the ICT's Tourist Services Department, a total of 1,968 polo shirts and formal shirts, 330 jacket-style capes, and other garments were delivered on the morning of Tuesday, February 17, to update the officers' uniforms. The total investment amounted to ¢49,739,436.

Furthermore, this donation is part of the inter-institutional efforts aimed at consolidating Costa Rica as a safe and competitive destination, as well as maintaining coordination, focused on strengthening prevention, response capacity and operational presence in the country's main destinations.

“At the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), we will continue to strengthen and support the work of the Tourist Police throughout the country, specifically in the destinations most frequented by national and international tourists. This time, we are providing them with new uniforms and, recently, with the inauguration of two new Tourist Police stations in the communities of Santa Teresa de Cóbano and Cahuita. We will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Public Security to improve security in Costa Rica as a tourist destination,” stated William Rodríguez, Minister of Tourism.

For his part, his counterpart Mario Zamora, Minister of Security, highlighted the ICT as one of the main allies in the fight against organized crime and delinquency. “Their ongoing support has been demonstrated by actions like today’s and by the important contribution of the Tourist Police units already operating in different parts of the country,” Zamora concluded.

The activity was also used to deliver signage and banners that will be placed in the Tourist Police stations and airports with the aim of promoting the use of the 911 Tourism service, an exclusive line enabled for travelers to report situations and be attended to expeditiously.

Finally, QR codes for the "Guardians of Tourism" initiative were shared with transporters and tour guides to download information and generate alerts in a joint effort with the private tourism sector.

Evolution of the Tourist Police:
In anticipation of celebrating its first two decades of operations next December, the Tourist Police is showing growth in the number of officers and the specialization of its services.

A high percentage of officers possess advanced knowledge of English, French, Portuguese, and German, which significantly improves their handling of events and situations involving international tourists. Kattia Chavarría added that some officers are also currently receiving training in additional languages ​​such as Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean.

Regarding the evolution of this specialized body, which is part of the Tourist Security Directorate of the Ministry of Public Security, Chavarría highlighted the presence of the Tourist Police in 21 high-traffic destinations, including San José, Heredia, Cartago, Poasito, Playa Panamá, Brasilito, Cabo Velas, Tamarindo, Nosara, Santa Teresa, Puntarenas, Monteverde, Jacó, Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Golfo Dulce, Tortuguero and Cahuita.

It also has officers assigned to Juan Santamaría International Airport, Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport and the cruise terminals in Limón, reinforcing coverage at strategic entry points to the national territory.

The ICT emphasizes that security is a component of tourism sustainability and the experience of both national and international visitors, and it is worth noting that during 2025, the governing institution of tourism made a contribution of more than 727 million colones in the construction and opening of the Tourist Police Delegations in Cahuita and Santa Teresa de Cóbano.

Source: ICT.