Riga - a city with a high safety coefficient

Ever since Latvia was opened up to foreign nations, Riga has also become a popular tourist destination. Along with the influx of tourists to the city and the wide range of entertainment opportunities the municipality faced problems and disturbances that disrupted peace of the local residents and threatened safety of the city guests. The problems required a solution and radical decisions to improve the public safety and order in the city.

The solution was found. Within less than two years the problems of the tourism industry have been being solved successfully by setting up a municipal police unit available to public, communicative and largely preventive.

The Tourism Unit of the Municipal Police in Riga helps in communication between tourists and the local authorities, prevents the crime and violations against tourists, fights against unfair businesses.

All travelers can find something interesting and exciting in the city. However, there are also a lot of visitors who come for entertainment exclusively and with a single aim-comparatively cheap liquor and crazy binge weekend and all that it entails. A conduct of this tourist category - treating historical and cultural monuments significant to the Latvian people with disrespect and profaning them, disturbing the peace in the city - offended and upset the local residents. Effective laws and regulations did not restrict disturbers and the shameless conduct of'weekend tourists' become a kind of sport for certain foreigners.

The tourists' lack of awareness of the safety matters often resulted in becoming the victims. The police had been receiving information on tourists who were cheated in taxis and nightclubs, robbed or mugged in the street on a regular basis. The victims did not trust the local law enforcement bodies and complained about the problems in their home countries.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia received notes informing of those incidents. Thus Riga had earned itself a bad reputation as a tourist destination ruled by judicial chaos, unfair commercial practice, fraud, and theft. It reached its culmination in the summer of 2008-2009. The municipality reacted by taking full responsibility for solving the problem and in late 2009 after causal analysis it made a decision to improve public safety and order both for the local residents and foreign visitors. A separate police unit was set up under the wing of Riga Municipal Police with a certain focus area - tourism. The tasks of the newly made unit include fast and easy communication between tourists and the local authorities, prevention of crime and violations against tourists, fight against unfair businesses, tourists' and local residents'safety guarantee on the streets of Riga. During the first days of work the Tourism Unit began active communication with the concerned parties of the tourism industry - representatives of diplomatic missions, tour operators, representatives of hotels, restaurants and entertainment places, foreign safety and law enforcement bodies. Jointly developed recommendations for tourist safety, latest information on the order and regulations effective in Riga, possibilities of receiving help from the police and contacts were distributed among foreign tourists. Help provided by the Municipal Police ensures fast proceedings in communication with the foreigners.

Along with the preventive measures Riga Municipal Police has also opened a hotline for tourists - 67181818 - that in case of trouble ensures the contact with the police, explains the problem in English, and offers competent help immediately all the time.

Riga Municipal Police applies various strategies to fight unfair businesses effectively. The work done has already produced certain positive results - the number of conflict situations at entertainment places in Riga has shrunk to a minimum. In 2010 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Riga City Council did not receive a single complaint on unfair practice at entertainment place in the old town.

The contribution of the municipality and the police to improving general public safety and order in Riga has borne fruit. The city attracts people who are interested in cultural and historical values, rich architecture and great opportunities for cultural entertainment. Riga is reknown all over the world as an interesting city that is rich in traditions and unique cultural opportunities combined with a high safety coefficient. In two years'time the city will regain its stable position as a leader on the Baltic tourism market.