The men and women of the Tourism Police special unit of Fuerza Publica are sometimes called “Baywatch Cops” by their partners in blue. This is a playful tease that comes from the fact that Tourism Police officers are often seen patrolling on bicycles and jovially interacting with backpackers looking for the next bus to La Fortuna, or surfers whose belongings left on the beach disappear.

What many people in Costa Rica don’t know is that these cordial and bilingual officers regularly provide backup for regular Fuerza Publica officers in dangerous situations, and that they are frequently involved in law enforcement operations that go beyond the protection of tourists.

Earlier this week, Tourism Police Officer Fallas was conducting a sweep of an illegal flophouse alongside Fuerza Publica officers in San Jose, when he was surprised by a pot full of scalding hot water thrown at his face. These flophouses are called cuarterias, and they are run by unscrupulous slumlords who not only fail to provide safe lodging for their tenants, but also allow their homes to become crack dens and warehouses for stolen goods.

Fuerza Publica was trying to perform an orderly eviction with the help of members of the Tourism Police when a woman suddenly dumped a pot of boiling water on Officer Fallas, who suffered severe burns to his head, eyes and lips. He was given first aid on the spot while the woman tried to escape. It is not clear whether the woman was a tenant or slumlord, but she locked herself in one of the rooms. Fuerza Publica officers forced their way in, arrested the woman and turned her over to prosecutors in San Jose.

Source: Fuerza Publica de Costa Rica