Costa Rica's nascent Tourist Police force this week marked its first year on the beat with a second graduating class – and the release of figures showing a decrease in crimes against foreign visitors.

Tourists in Costa Rica have long been seen as easy prey for thieves. But despite the record total of foreign visitors—more than 1.9 billion last year—reported incidents of crime are going down, said the Public Security Ministry.

The most notable decline was seen in the provinces of San José, Guanacaste and Limón.

“(Reports) also declined in Alajuela, Heredia and Puntarenas,” said Tourist Police Chief Kattia Chavarría in a statement.

Those areas make up the bulk of the beat patrolled by the 225-strong force.

Total reports by tourists of crimes, such as muggings and home and vehicle break-ins, went down from 5,450 in 2006 to 4,038.

In Cartago, however, such reports increased 6%, Chavarría added.

But the reports decreased by 36% in San José province, almost 34% in Guanacaste, over 33% in Limón, 22% in Alajuela, 13% in Heredia and 2.5% in Puntarenas, she said.

These figures “tell us that thanks to the measures taken by the Tourist Police deployed throughout the country, especially in areas with a higher concentration of foreigners, have been effective…which has brought calm to visitors,” said the police chief.

Earlier in the week, the Tico Times asked for tourist crime stats from the Tourist Police and the National Security Ministry but the newspaper was told no such figures existed because police reports do not distinguish whether the foreign victim was a visitor or a resident.

-Tico Times