Police in Arizona town urge residents to stop yelling at tourists

The 450 residents of a popular tourist destination in the US have received a severe warning from police amid an increase in harassment of visitors.

The warning was issued on Facebook.

Residents of a popular tourist destination have received a severe warning from police: Stop yelling at visitors or face a charge for harassment.

In the old Arizona mining town, Jerome, police have warned locals they could face harassment charges if they do not cease unruly behaviour towards the one million tourists who visit each year.

The town was once home to one of Arizona’s last copper mines and has since become a hub for artists, New Zealand Herald reports.

Tourists stop while driving along a winding mountain road that passes through to see its bohemian stores, trendy bars and scenic views.

They also visit the old mines and the Jerome Sliding Jail – the old jail which slid down the mountainside due to the land slippage caused by all the mine shafts in the area.

However, Jerome police recently took to Facebook to tell its population of 450 residents they had noticed problematic behaviour towards the tourists.

The post said it had come to their attention that, “some people visiting our town on short visits and using lawful short-term parking passes are being yelled at or having notes left on their cars by local residents.”

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The warning from the Jerome Police Department was issued on Facebook.

Published on July 12, the post said: “Yelling at, or leaving notes could, in some cases, constitute harassment under Arizona Revised Statutes.”

The post has received 68 likes and 13 comments. One person pointed out: “Doesn’t Jerome basically survive on tourism?”

Yesterday, the post was updated to clarify that it was “never intended to call out any specific person or group of persons”.

Instead, they were “simply reminding our residents to call us if they observe a possible crime like trespassing, or violation of town code, such as a parking violation.”

“It is always better to allow the police department to handle these issues,” it said.

Jerome was designated a National Historic District in 1967. It’s located around halfway between the Grand Canyon and Phoenix.

This article originally appeared on the New Zealand Herald and has been republished with permission