The amount and degree of crime in Costa Rica is often a key consideration when people are contemplating on whether or not they want to relocate to this wonderful country. Costa Rica has long enjoyed a good reputation for a limited amount of crime when compared to other Central and South American countries. However, the country is not without its problems.
Crime in Costa Rica is fortunately limited, for the most part, to areas around the capital city of San Jose, and certain areas that see large amounts of tourists like Tamarindo and Jaco.

The most important thing to consider when travelling or living in Costa Rica in regard to crime involves an awareness of your surroundings and the location you are in. There will always be those unfortunate situations that were unavoidable no matter what precautions were taken, but a large percentage of most crimes can be avoided by following the simple precautionary steps listed here:

1. Always remain aware of your surroundings, and if you begin to feel uncomfortable in a situation, look for a quick exit from the predicament.

2. Always travel in pairs or groups. If you must travel alone, carry a whistle as they can be a great deterrent for muggers or thieves.

3. Avoid being out on the streets past 10:00 p.m. Most robberies and muggings occur in the late hours, when criminals can prey on intoxicated or weary tourists.

4. Do not carry around expensive cell phones, camara equipment, or jewelry.

5. Avoid certain areas in the downtown part of San Jose particulary Barrio Coca Cola where the national bus terminal is located.

6. Buy and use a money belt that you fasten under your clothing. Pick-pocketing has become an art form to many in Costa Rica, so be watchful if someone approaches you with a question, as it may be a distraction for an accomplice to make off with your wallet. If you carry a wallet, place it in your front pocket.

7. Realize that you stick out. You do not dress and act like the locals, so try to maintain as low a profile as possible. If you get lost or need help go inside a business for directions rather than asking someone on the street.

8. Do not leave valuables in plain sight within your vehicle. A laptop sitting in the front seat of your rental car is a welcome sight for a thief.

9. If you are visiting a beach area, be sure to find parking that is secure. You might have to pay a little, but it is well worth it. Also, do not leave your valueables on the beach while you go for a swim, they might not be there when you come back.

10. Single woman should not be out alone after dark under any circumstance.
Most crime that does occur in Costa Rica is of a pick-pocketing or theft of property nature. Costa Rica still enjoys a very low violent crime rate when compared to most major North American cities. Crime in the rural areas of Costa Rica is almost non-existent, but the tourist areas are seeing a rise in theft related crimes as they continue to grow. Costa Rica is a very safe country when compared to other latin america countries. If you simply follow the steps listed above, the chances of you becoming a victim of crime in Costa Rica are very minimal.

Tags: costa rican crime, criminal activity

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2007 at 9:54 am and is filed under Knowledge Base. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.