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Dear all,
There has been a flood of emails / posts regarding security concerns – so many in fact that we, although we have visited CR twice , we are becoming a bit concerned.
We know location is one of the most important factor in the security “equation” so my question to the group is whether you are aware of issues in Perez Zeledon ( San Isidro de El General) area.there is no accurate predictor of crime. there was an armed home invasion in Atenas, heretofore a regularly touted safe place to live. crime can and does happen anywhere. how you live, who you invite into your home, who knows what you have or don’t have, can determine your risk for crime. if there was one thing i would stress it would be keep a low profile. very under the radar — no flashy cars, no flashy jewelry, no showing off. wherever you move you will be under surveillance by the locals. they will want to know who you are and what you’ve got, so don’t brag or invite people you don’t know well into your home. you never know whose cousin, brother, friend, or acquaintance might be a thief.
I am also concerned with security in CR. For those of you living there for a while, anywhere. How bad is it? Is it getting worse? What is the mid to long term trend? Can one leave the house alone for one or two-day trips? More security tips? Thank you,
Overall, the crime rate in Costa Rica compares very favorably with other Central American countries and may be lower than the general area in which you live today.
Is there crime? Of course there is. Is it getting worse? That’s much tougher to determine. It’s important to distinguish between the incidence of crime and the reporting of it.
We’ve been here over five years and have yet to be touched by any crime save for those perpetrated by a small handful of Americans posing as real estate agents. It’s not the Costa Ricans you need to be wary of.
We sure do have a bunch of old women in this forum some days.
I am not 100% sure but I guess Scott makes money with his consulting with real estate developers and stuff so it is natural that he wants his home (Costa Rica) to look good but I reckon that DavidMurray and many of other people that are so helpful in this Forum (who don’t get paid and who don’t sell anything) aren’t so totally brain dead to live here in Costa Rica if they seriously thought their lives were in danger.
Scott’s new article made me chuckle. “0.016438356616 American citizens slaughtered daily in Costa Rica in 2010.”
Might just be me but after checking the facts from reliable sources like the Department of State and many of the articles on this site which nearly always refer to good factual sources and people still moan about crime, I can’t help but think to myself PLEASE, PLEASE stay where you are.
Wherever you’re from in the US there’s a city or town within easy driving distance from you right now which has a crime rate FAR higher than anything Costa Rica has.
Puravida!
hey, you, watch who you’re calling an old woman!!! jejeje
i was held up at gunpoint in manhattan, had my house in jersey broken into twice (despite bars and grates on all doors and windows), and i was burglarized once in CR. so based on those stats alone, i am twice as safe here as i was THERE!!
[quote=”maravilla”]hey, you, watch who you’re calling an old woman!!! jejeje
i was held up at gunpoint in manhattan, had my house in jersey broken into twice (despite bars and grates on all doors and windows), and i was burglarized once in CR. so based on those stats alone, i am twice as safe here as i was THERE!![/quote]
I really don’t know who sent you all of the emails portraying CR as the wild west or whatever they said. We have been coming down here for 13 years and moved permanetly about 6 months ago. We live in between San Isidro and Dominical and I go to San Isidro frequently for supplies for our new casa and cabina. I have never felt safer but if you ever lived in Memphis Tennessee you would understand. Yes there is petty theft but you can have that in a town of a 1000 in the states. There are some bad apples but a heck of a lot less anywhere back home. All major grocery and hardware stores, malls, banks and a lot of restaurants have armed (or unarmed) security watching over the lots and businesses. You wouldn’t leave your wallet or camera sitting on the dash board back home would you? You don’t do it down here either. A neighbor leaves his house frequently for trips and has never had a problem for over 5 years. I don’t know why people spread untruths unless they really just don’t know what they are talking about.
Pure Vida!
it also depends on where you live. someone i know who lives in escazu came to my house and asked where i put all my terrace furniture at night. i told him i left it outside all year long. he said he could never do that in escazu because it would be gone by morning. i live in the country and we’ve had some burglaries here, gringo and tico houses alike. don’t leave stuff in your car, don’t leave your house and leave windows open, use common sense when in the city.
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