Positive reports about police and public safety in Tijuana have been few and far between lately. Headlines on both sides of the border have been dominated by half-day long shootouts between law enforcement and drug cartels, kidnappings and the bodies of five teenagers and 20-somethings piled on top of each other.

Tourism officials say millions of visitors have avoided Tijuana during the last three years. Violence, long border waits and stories of extortion that tourists toted home like souvenirs killed many people’s desire to cross. Tijuana police officials say during the previous administration, 12 people complained everyday they were extorted by the police.

Sunday night, I was driving from Playas home to San Diego. As I neared the San Ysidro crossing, I got stuck in traffic on Avenida Internacional, the road that runs right along the border fence. Thinking I’d avoid the backup, I turned right on a little side street to cut through the Zona Norte.

Immediately after I made the turn, a Tijuana police pickup stopped me, its lights flashing. An agent came up to my car window and asked me, in both English and Spanish, if I spoke Spanish. He then explained to me that both I and the car in front of me had turned the wrong way down a one-way street.

Through my head ran, “Oh no. Here we go. Good thing I have that cash permanently stashed in the middle console.” However, the policeman went on to explain to me -- smiling, I might add -- “Now, if you carefully just turn right here and go down about a block, then turn left on Av. Francisco Madero you’ll be good to go.

For a second, I sat there stunned thinking, “Did that really just happen?" He said, “You got it? You know what to do? Have a good night.” I drove off, carefully. I turned right and went down about a block. Then, I turned left on Francisco Madero, and I was good to go.

The new state and local administrations that took over in Dec. 2007 have made it their business to make Baja California and Tijuana safer and court tourists back. To that end, Tijuana ’s new administration revamped the city’s tourist police. Police officials say 128 agents, half of whom speak English, now patrol the most visited areas. 

Officials say further, they cracked down on corrupt agents and extortion complaints dropped. They say under Tijuana’s new mayor, Jorge Ramos, just nine people complained during the entire month of December. From January until Sunday, police officials say not one complaint was filed.

Sunday afternoon, two policemen were arrested for extorting about $180 from a U.S. family near the border. That police attempted to take money from the family is not good. But the fact the agents were arrested is. One can only hope that both those arrests and my experience are encouraging signs the new government’s efforts to undo years of corruption amongst Tijuana’s police is working. However, it’s still too soon to tell.

Please help me keep tabs on the situation by sharing your experiences with me: aisackson AT kpbs DOT org 

And please remember to do what I didn’t and get agents’ names. In my surprise, I forgot. I regret that, and that I didn’t stick around long enough to make sure the car in front of me got the same courteous and reasonable treatment I did. 

Should you need the police while you're in Tijuana, dial 066 to reach an agent. Ask for someone who speaks English. For more details, check out Tijuana’s Tourist Travel Guide.