Crime in Costa Rica – To Catch A Thief

It has long been common knowledge that while traveling through Costa Rica you need to take extra precautions against the common thief.

Tips like; do not leave anything visible in your car, like luggage, cameras, handbags, I-pods etc. Locking the car door only means a broken window. Never pull up to your parking spot and remove everything from the interior of your car and put it in the trunk.

There is always the possibility the thief is in the park watching you place the goods in the trunk saving him the time of looking in the car and going straight to prying the trunk open.

At the end of a dead end road, located on the peaceful and beautiful Sierpe River, the small town of Sierpe has enjoyed years of very minimal petty crimes such as thievery.

For years the owner of the small grocery store has never locked the back door of the store. Sierpe is a community where people know the people who live here and watch out for each other keeping strangers under a watchful eye.

The peace and safety of the community sometimes lulls us into an artificial feeling of safety. Last year I had my laptop stolen off my desk in my office. I, of course, had made it so easy because of a lackadaisical attitude towards security.

At the mouth of the river, where I live we have enjoyed unprecedented peace and safety for many years. One can only get there (or leave) by boat. We are a tight knit group living there and rarely take our eyes off any strangers that look remotely like trouble.

There is, however, the rare case of a thief at the Boca (River mouth). The thief struck when some friends ventured down to enjoy the beaches. The beaches at the mouth of the river are only accessible by boat but also accessible with out going out into the ocean.

Mark and Shani came down to the beach, pulled their boat up and wandered slowly around the corner to the second beach, Playa Blanca, for a swim and frolic in the surf. They had parked their boat in front of my house in plain view. Assuming only those who live there would notice. They left a bag in the boat with their camera, watches and a few miscellaneous items.

When they returned, the bag was gone. Mark, the Sherlock Holms of Sierpe looked at the sand where a single set of foot prints let directly to a small house. Machete in tow he followed the foot prints to the house where he met a stranger staying with the local, in the house. There was little doubt that his camera was inside.

The stranger was adamant that they had not taken the camera. Sherlock was adamant that he was going to have a look. He did and produced the camera within seconds, no machete necessary. The funny part of the story, perhaps even funnier than the single set of tracks in the sand leading to the thief was that he had held the camera out and taken several pictures of himself which remained on the camera.

It all turned out OK and will be a funny story we tell for years. There is a moral here which is do not let down your guard anywhere you travel in Costa Rica.

I have been coming here in excess of 30 years, have heard all the stories but, other than my laptop, have missed having my things stolen by simply paying attention at all times, even in Sierpe.

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Written by Jim Cameron, WeLoveCostaRica.com’s Preferred Real Estate Professional in the Sierpe River area of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Real Estate Professionals – Sierpe River Valley:

For over 20 years, the professionals at Amigos de Osa have been building their reputation within the Osa Peninsula. They primarily represent the Sierpe River Valley, specializing in riverfront properties and also have several listings in the surrounding areas of Palmar Sur and Drake Bay.

Their Costa Rican partner, Sonia Rojas, is a member of the Costa Rica Board of Realtors and is certified by the CCCBR. Her extensive knowledge of Costa Rican municipalities adds assurance to buyers. Co-founder, Jim Cameron, has been traveling to the area since 1976 and buying and selling properties for the past two decades. His experience and commitment to 100% customer satisfaction has been tried and tested.

Another partner, Trevor Cameron, has been traveling to Costa Rica for half his life and living full time in Sierpe since 2006. He offers client care before, during and after the sale and his fluency in Spanish provides excellent service to both the buyer and seller.

The newest member of the team, Chelsea Carlsson, recently graduated from California State University, Chico and after attending school in Costa Rica decided it was the place to begin her career. Acting as Amigos de Osa’s Buyer’s Agent, Chelsea is dedicated to finding the perfect property for her clients.

The Costa Rica real estate professionals at Amigos de Osa pride themselves on helping you to find “A Piece of Paradise with Peace of Mind.”

If you are seriously interested in buying Costa Rica real estate in the Sierpe River area and want Jim Cameron to help you, please help us to help you by giving us your your email address and answer the three little questions in the form below:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.