The northwestern Guanacaste towns of Tamarindo and Brasilito are about to get new police stations, thanks to some help from the private sector.

A group of area businesses has donated about $400,000 to build stations in these towns which currently lack them, Guanacaste National Police Director Hugo Uba told The Tico Times yesterday. Uba declined to name the businesses without their authorization.

“These police stations are going to give us the infrastructure to create an adequate and quality environment for the police to work,” he said.

Crime in Guanacaste beach towns has increased significantly in the past couple of years, from petty theft to armed home invasions (TT, Sept. 8).

The Public Security Ministry will supplement this effort by providing 20 police officers to work in Tamarindo and 10 in Brasilito as well as a new patrol car and two motorcycles for each town.

Uba said construction on the new stations should begin soon and that he hopes they’ll be open by December.