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Costa Rica 2015 Crime and Safety Report

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ILuvCR
  11/9/2015 16:58 EST

"Violent crimes like murders, robberies, and sexual assaults are not committed frequently against U.S. citizens."


source: https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=17191

Pura Vida!

Bob12
  11/9/2015 18:20 EST

That's great. But petty crime is off the roof. We just stayed at a decent hotel in Cartago and had our cheap box wine stolen while out of the room. Nothing else was touched. We actually thought it was kind of funny.

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TICR
  11/10/2015 07:55 EST

Fuerza Pública officers in Alajuelita said Monday that they had detained a man who robbed a cell telephone from a 9 year old. The robbery happened in the Parque Central where police routinely patrol.

The government's plan to give early release to hundreds of convicts is generating predictable discussion in the legislature. Antonio Álvarez Desanti of the opposition Partido Liberación Nacional said that the release would expose society to new crimes.

Anti-drug police say they have broken up 115 drug organizations in this year alone.
The number puts in perspective the likely number of drug distributors that operate in the country. The Policía de Control de Drogas said that 15 of these organizations were family-based. There were 29 international organizations and 86 local ones. The local operations could be as modest as a woman selling crack out of her back door.
Once again the weekend produced a handful of gun deaths totaling eight.
amcostarica.com

ILuvCR
  11/13/2015 07:43 EST

Hi Amanda, check out the 2015 Crime and Safety Report and a couple of personal opinions on the condition of "safety" here,

Pura Vida!

Kohl
  11/13/2015 09:10 EST

Most Costaricans do not reports theft or robberies as they feel 'nothing will be done about it'.

bpcoffeefiend
  11/17/2015 14:47 EST

absolutely ludicrous. Crime against foreigners and tourists is common and are rising.
http://www.ticotimes.net/2015/02/17/costa-rica-saw-important-increase-in-violence-says-oij-director

1:Highest rate of robbery in the western hemisphere.
2: one of the highest rates of traffic fatalities ( the majority being pedestrians being ran over) in the western hemisphere.
3:A murder rate 3 times the rate of the United states and thats just the reported rate, when the official estimate is that atleast 50% of crimes go unreported, a fact anyone who lives there can attest too.
4:A country being increasingly overrun by mexican and colombian drug cartels, a situation that will only get worse.
5: And a culture that in general values theft and dishonesty.

Costa Rica is High crime, anyone who tells you different either works in real estate, tourism, or hasnt been there very long.

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ILuvCR
  11/17/2015 21:00 EST

Ok, so where would one start? This may take a while, there are so many holes here.

Of course you have the expertise to suggest that the "Costa Rica 2015 Crime and Safety Report" published by the U.S. Government inter-agency website managed by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Department of State is "absolutely ludicrous".

First of all the article that you've posted the link to say's nothing about " Crime against foreigners and tourists " It does say that "most crimes in 2014 where against property not people".

Your comment "Highest rate of robbery in the western hemisphere" seems to come from and correct me if I'm wrong a 2012 "Retire for less n Costa Rica" blog stating 2010 statistics.

I think that you're right about it being a dangerous place to walk and even drive.

I'd love to know where you came up with the C.R to U.S murder rate comparison, please.

I don't know about the Mexican and Columbian drug cartels here but they're everywhere, right?

All that may or may not be true but you went a bridge to far when you state "a culture that in general values theft and dishonesty. "

You're way off base here! I've lived here for four years and the vast majority of the Tico's that I've had the pleasure of meeting and doing business with are good, honest, family, fun and country loving, friendly, warm people.

How dare you suggest that an entire culture could "value theft and dishonesty"

Painting with a broad brush aren't you?

You're off to a great start bpcoffeefiend, welcome to the forum.

Pura Vida!

Bob12
  11/17/2015 21:50 EST

To ILUVCR: Well let's be honest here. There are a lot of thefts/crimes here! Read Kohl's comments: He's had several robberies, his dog was poisoned and killed, and he's been taken by a few unscrupulous business people and he's lived in CR a long time. Several of our friends and family that live here in CR concur with Kohl about the increase in crime here. It is not good that we can't leave our homes without hiring a sitter for the house. ?? That is ridiculous but necessary!! Theft/crime is rampant here! We all know it. Let's take the rose colored glasses off please.

PacificLots
  11/18/2015 08:09 EST

I'm going to mention that it depends a lot on where you live. If you live in places like San Isidro En General or the Southern Pacific region around Uvita and Ojochal, our crime rate is very low. It's much like describing crime in the US, I could talk about Detroit or I could talk about Cambridge, Massachusetts, Comparing one to the other without qualifying "where" I was talking about would be completely useless information. If you go into the Central Valley, you'll see lots of bars on windows, barbed wire and dogs. Same with Guanacaste in the high tourist areas. Head into some of the small towns without tourism and crime is nearly non existent. We have a program in Ojochal call CAP, Cap on Crime. We work closely with the local police and OIJ, posted the town with "crime watch community" posters in town, in both Spanish and English and we encourage ANY crime, no matter how small, be reported and that denuncia's be issued to the police. I can clearly state that we have VERY LITTLE CRIME. Sure we do have an occasional break and enter, perhaps one a year. We are a residential community however, not a tourist town. Ticos in our town have sided together with us to combat crime. So blanket generalizations about Costa Rica as though it is all the same, are not warranted. I would no sooner live in an area like Kohl is describing than I would live in Detroit.

PacificLots
  11/18/2015 08:19 EST

@bpcoffeefiend - For you to suggest in the same sentence talking about an increase in murder, that many crimes go unreported, are you suggesting that murders are going unreported? I think not. I can get behind some thefts as unreported but I tend to believe that every murder is reported,,, It's hard to hide dead people.

PacificLots
  11/18/2015 08:25 EST

@bpcoffeefiend - And if you read the crime report you gave the link for you won't see a mention of crime against tourists and foreigners, not that I am saying they don't happen. The report specifically mentions some of the roughest places in Costa Rica, Limon and Desamparados. If you go visit Limon, the barios in Desamparados and Leon XIII, you'll see an area YOU KNOW you should not be in. The increase in crime against tourism is breaking and entering and has increased in tourist expat communities in both Northern Guanacaste and Lake Arenal. Even the OIJ were surprised that crime had increased in places like Alajuela.

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Bob12
  11/18/2015 08:25 EST

Pacificlots: But Kohl has indicated that he lives in a rural area and he still has had many problems!

PacificLots
  11/18/2015 08:34 EST

Kohl, where exactly do you live?

Kohl
  11/18/2015 09:13 EST

Believe me, Pacific Lots, I wouldn't choose to live in an area that I was previously aware that crime was a problem.

Since moving to Costa Rica, we have always lived in various rural areas with no tourism to talk about and only a few ex-pats living in the surrounding area ...so not all happened while living in one place.

Note, we have since moved about 15 klm away from where our last 'incident' occurred....and life is pretty good, but we are still very vigilant.

ILuvCR
  11/18/2015 12:15 EST

Thanks Kohl!

"life is pretty good, but we are still very vigilant" that about sums it up doesn't it!

La vida es Buena!

Pura Vida!

Bob12
  11/18/2015 15:43 EST

"Life is pretty good" but look at what Kohl had to go through to get to this point.

Kohl- How long have you been in the new area where things are good?

ILuvCR
  11/18/2015 16:01 EST

Bob, please what's your point?

Kohl
  11/18/2015 16:35 EST

We have lived here for almost 4 years. It is not a place where most ex-pats would choose to live. Too rural, bad roads, no decent restaurants, very little English spoken in stores or in the banks...but our 'spot' is a little oasis we have created, just outside of town.

Everyone has to search for their own place where they feel secure...and where each person has their own 'requirements' met.

richardschlinder
  11/19/2015 11:28 EST

Kohl's and Bob's report is dead on.
Sad but true.

richardschlinder
  11/19/2015 12:37 EST

In C.R. it is true that crime happens at all levels of population but I assure you,Gringos carry a giant target on their back. Gringos have things and they want them.
You are right about the U.S. State Dept.and the information they put out. Sucks!

TICR
  11/20/2015 15:31 EST

36,000 robbery complaints were received in 2014, only 4% resulted in convictions,
Only one of every 14 robberies is investigated by the Public Ministry. Where there is more thefts is in rural areas.
According to Castro, in Costa Rica 116.7 robberies and thefts are reported daily, while in Honduras, which ranks second, has about 52.2 per day.
For rapists, Juan Diego Castro denounced that 90% of rapists go unpunished, of 10 defendants, 9 are acquitted.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!
Source: http://www.crhoy.com/solo-1-de-cada-14-robos-se-investigo-en-2014/

richardschlinder
  11/20/2015 16:53 EST

To say the capabilities of the police force in C.R. is " Keystone Cops" is over rating their abilities.
I found out just recently that they have to send DNA samples to America to get the results. That's if they care enough to actually send them out. I am not sure if they know what to do with them after they receive the results.
PROTECT YOURSELF!

guestuser
  11/20/2015 17:05 EST

Is it just me or does the fact that a report that is depending on a lawyers input leave a little room for doubt? How about a more unbiased source?

Gill Phelan
www.gvecr.com

TICR
  11/20/2015 17:47 EST

Did you read the article??? Así lo revela el Impunómetro 2014, análisis sobre los datos reportados por el Poder Judicial. Castro analyzed the Judiciary's report.
How about this one. This afternoon, in an operation by the Fiscal Control Police (PCP) in the south, a vehicle of the Ministry of Labour was stopped containing smuggled liquor. In the vehicle, confirmed by PCP, were some Ministry officials and journalists who apparently bought the liquor in Panama. So an official vehicle being used for a purpose for which it was not intended. Crhoy.com contacted Sr. Diaz, Press Ministry of Labour, who was trying to find out what had happened. Labour Minister Victor Morales, was unavailable as he left by airplane. "Tis the season". Lic. Castro had nothing to do with this report.

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