Costa Rica Crime – Carefully selected statistics can be used to persuade us either way.

The following letter appeared on 22nd June 2006 in one of the online newspapers in Costa Rica and for whatever reason, although many other letters were included, my letter to the editor in response to this was not included:

Letter Written by Manu Cron in Rohrmoser, San José, Costa Rica.

Statistics tell the tale on incidences of crime

A fellow American recently criticized A.M. Costa Rica for what he considers like an excessive crime reporting practice. Although anyone is entitled to his own opinion, statements that are not based on statistical data lack credibility.

Crime and insecurity affects the individual as well as the whole community. Crime rate is not a matter of speculation. It’s not based over an individual’s personal appreciation about his experiences and surroundings. It goes far beyond from our premises and/or our neighborhood security. A realistic and professional approach is based on statistics. It’s not what one believes and/or assumes what makes real facts. Real facts feed crime statistics sustained by official reports on criminal incidents.

Considering statistical data, America is a more secure place to live than Costa Rica. Furthermore, American policing is superior – technically speaking – more numerous per capita and less corrupted. Same as the courts. Law is much better enforced in U.S.A.

World Crime Statistics by country:

Costa Rica ranks world’s 19th in murders per capita: 0.061006 per 1,000 people.

Costa Rica ranks world’s 7th in murders with firearms per capita: 0.0313745 per 1,000 people.

Costa Rica ranks world’s 19th in rapes per capita: 0.118277 per 1,000 people.

2004: Costa Rica ranks fifth place in the Americas in murders per capita, after Colombia, Jamaica, Venezuela and Mexico (U.S.A. ranks as America’s 7th/World’s 24th).

2005: Costa Rica murders increased to 300, almost one per day! (0.071 per 1,000).

Source is HERE!

People in Costa Rica, nationals or foreigners, live caged into their iron-work enclosed dwellings, protected by stout walls and high fences, guard dogs, alarm systems and security locks. No one dares to leave his car unattended by day or nighttime. Supermarkets and shopping centers are protected by bulletproof vested guards armed with shotguns. Upper-class neighborhoods hire full-time guards. Does it sound like U.S.A?

Newspapers do not create or make up criminal incidents, they just report it.

A.M. Costa Rica is neither a leader in that line of reporting nor a contestant. Costa Rica’s national press and TV have the upper hand. A.M. Costa Rica serves well the interest of the local expatriates community, as well as Americans prospecting for relocation to this country.

Instead of serving rose-colored portraits of Costa Rica – a tone with Real Estate and Tourism lobbies – it informs fair and square about the real Costa Rica, the one that is totally absent in promotional magazines stuffed by hired “Self-proclaimed experts on Costa Rica” and controlled by “Special interest Groups.”

Letter Written by Scott Oliver to the Editor – Same day:

I agree with Manu Crons on crime, he is absolutely right that statistics do indeed tell the tale of incidences of crime and as we all know, carefully selected statistics can be used to persuade us either way…

Like most countries, the capital city of Costa Rica – San José always has more homicides than anywhere else but, outside San José, the crime rate is very much lower.

According to La Nacion earlier this year, Cartago had the lowest homicide rate of 3.8, Heredia’s rate is 4.3. Guanacaste’s is a bit higher at 5.5 in 2005 although the rate of homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Guanacaste has decreased over the last four years.

So in the words of Manu Cron, let’s look at some other “… official reports on criminal incidents.”

According to data obtained from the Source: U.S. FBI, Crime in the United States, annual. From Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2006. The following cities have a much higher murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants than San José, Costa Rica.

• Los Angeles – 17.3
• Houston – 12.5
• Philadelphia – 18.9
• Phoenix – 12.6
• Dallas – 15.8
• Las Vegas – 11.9
• Detroit 41.8
• Indianapolis – 13.9
• Jacksonville – 11.7
• Columbus – 11.3
• Memphis -22.5
• Milwaukee – 18.3
• Washington DC – 45.9
• New Orleans – 53.1
• Kansas City – 18.5
• Atlanta 34.9
• Oakland – 26.1
• St. Louis – 31.4
• Pittsburgh – 13.7
• Cincinnati – 21
• Tampa – 11.7
• Buffalo – 14.6
• Newark – 23.3
• San José, Costa Rica – 9.2

Based on these statistics, I would vehemently disagree that “America is a more secure place to live than Costa Rica.”

In which city would you prefer to live??

With US$8.8 billion of US taxpayer money “missing” from Iraq and news of massive, multi-billion scandals (Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Health South, Tyco International, Adelphi Communications) and political corruption filling the US news everyday, I would vehemently disagree that America is “less corrupted.”

Lastly, if we look at what Americans think of these scandals as in a recent (May 2006) Zogby Poll we will see that:

“Three out of four (75%) said they trust government less than they did five years ago, just 5% said they think corporations do right by the consumers they are in business to serve…” And “Overall, just 3% said they think Congress in general is trustworthy.” And “Corporate leaders in America are nearly as widely distrusted as Congress – just 7% said they are trustworthy.”

Makes you wonder if the “Law is much better enforced in U.S.A.” But with “1 in 142 US residents now in prison” which is more than two million people behind bars more than China, India and Iran combined, we can feel more comfortable knowing that “American policing is superior – technically speaking.”

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Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com
Author of ‘How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa‘ and ‘Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore‘

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.