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March 26 marked the second anniversary of the Cycling Police patrolling
the Golden Zone. Dressed in spiffy white tee shirts, regulation blue shorts,
white helmets and sunglasses, these city police form part of an elite group
chosen especially for their capacity to interact well with people, their
ability to speak English, their willingness to help and their attitude in
general. Many of these men are taking continuing English courses in the
city. Originally the commercial association of the Golden Zone expressed
a need for more visible police protection since they were registering two
assaults per week, and eventually they sponsored the 14 men who now are
on duty from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, providing them with bikes and other
accoutrements. Since its inception, crime in this area has dropped to almost
zero, although the group recalled one time when the police chased a robber
into the sewer canals behind Guadalajara Grill and caught him! These police
are also trained in first aid by the fire department and local hospitals,
as well as water rescue, which they have also had a chance to successfully
perform! Of the 14 officers, two are off on any given day, and the rest
circulate in pairs. Two groups patrol between Tony's and Dairy Queen including
R.T. Loaiza Street and two other pairs between Dairy Queen and El Cid. |
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The commander,Juan Sanchez Moreno, and his second and third are also out
keeping tabs on the scene, especially when one of their group goes off for
further training. One of the aims of this group, beyond crime prevention,
is to provide an updated image of the police to the public and to the tourists.
Not only are they obviously physically fit-- a big difference from the ones
who are in the trucks-- they are sociable and pleasant. Equipped with pistols
and a radio, they are dispatched by the central operator and can be on the
scene in mere minutes. They remarked that their colleagues in the rest of
the city earn awards for apprehending criminals, but since the Cycling Police
are doing such a good job, they have no chance to earn that kind of award.
Personally, I think prevention is preferable to aprehension and their efforts
deserve honorable mention!!! Recently numerous officers from the State of
Sinaloa were sent on a 21 day intensive course in the mountains for a refresher
course in everything from target practice and weapon maintenance to human
rights and physical fitness. After the evaluation, the top two awards went
to members of the Cycling Police. Congratulations!!! If you find yourself
in need of police assistance for a crime in progress, call 080, or if you
just wish to stop and chat, you will find these officers very capable and
also very pleasant. |
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Mazatlan's Cycling
Police
Patrolling..
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