¿crimenes Para Todos?

[AlexanderB]

I haven't heard much on this forum about the infamous crime wave lately.

Anecdotally speaking, has it somewhat decreased in severity, at least to the extent that it registers in relevance to your daily life? Or is it more that it has become such an existentially inescapable fact of life that noone sees fit to mention it anymore?

I would appreciate honest, non-hyperbolic answers, because it enters non-trivially into my decision about whether to return to Buenos Aires in February. I would very much like to, and I feel that I can stomach the current and import issues.

I can deal with some crime and break-in risk; I've been in worse. However, if it's one of those things where being held up at gunpoint on the street at some point is almost mandatory and statistically inevitable, I'm going to have to think longer and harder about my decision. I didn't get this impression when I was there in November 2011, but I was there only a short time, had a companion with me, and I gather things have deteriorated since then.

 

[AlexanderB]

Well, that's interesting. I wrote «¿Crimenes para todos?» in the title, with that exact capitalisation. I swear on my honour! However, the forum seems to have seen fit to reformulate it...

 

[HenryNisental]

I recently wrote a book here regarding the issue of allowing more CCW gun permits here, as in the good old USA.
Anyway, I think that the problem here is not the level of crime as the general feeling of impotence when people see the
low effecivity of the local police, and then also the permissiviness of the criminal laws too.
Keeping a low profile and avoiding flashy ostentations will reduce yor chances of becoming a victim of crime here, as it is true in any place in the world.

 

[trennod]

There was a real wave of crime discussion on this forum a couple of months back. You could search and find manyn threads discussing it at length.

General feeling amongst the porteño community that crime is getting significantly worse. In fact, one of the major issues of the protests on Thursday night was against "la inseguridad".

 

[toongeorges]

General feeling amongst the porteño community that crime is getting significantly worse. In fact, one of the major issues of the protests on Thursday night was against "la inseguridad".

However, the only trouble I have had so far in the last 3 months is a slap on the head from a beggar, because I did not want to give him money. (on Pueyrredon)

I am practically always in the barrios Recoleta/Palermo/Villa Crespo/Almagro/Balvanera/San Nicolás. I do not feel insecure at night or day in these areas, except after the beggar incident I am avoiding Pueyrredon at night.

 

[la_guachita]

For me it is better than a year or a year-and-a-half or two years ago. Did see an attempted car-jacking at gunpoint about a month-and-a-half ago in broad daylight (the driver yelled and when the carjacker saw how many people were around, he ran). On Friday night I saw two teens pull a knive on an older gentleman. But I've been walking around the city at all hours alone with expensive headphones attached to a cheap mini mac MP3 player and haven't had any problems, maybe because I don't dress particularly nice and have pretty much perfected a porteña cara de 'no me jodes'.

 

[AlexanderB]

For me it is better than a year or a year-and-a-half or two years ago.

Really? I admit, that's not a perspective I've heard before!

have pretty much perfected a porteña cara de 'no me jodes'.

Isn't it no me jodas, since the verb is joder?

 

[scotttswan]

For me it is better than a year or a year-and-a-half or two years ago. Did see an attempted car-jacking at gunpoint about a month-and-a-half ago in broad daylight (the driver yelled and when the carjacker saw how many people were around, he ran). On Friday night I saw two teens pull a knive on an older gentleman.

so in the past 2 months you've seen a car jacking at gun point and teens rob an old man at knife point but its better than a year and a half ago?

can i ask what you saw a year and a half ago?

 

[la_guachita]

< Isn't it no me jodas, since the verb is joder?>


yes, sorry i had written 'cara de culo' and quickly erased it and rewrote because i really didn't want to compare my cara to a culo.

<can i ask what you saw a year and a half ago?>

Well i myself was a victim of crime a few times before between 2008-2011 -- held up twice at gunpoint (got away with out giving anything both times though, at least besides the French guy they don't usually shoot here as they would in the US or Africa) and also had my billetera swiped at Krakow (when I was totally sober!) and also had my first street fight ever after being attacked by a crazy chick who was high on paco.

I think it depends neighborhood by neighborhood. Since then, a casa tomada was evacuated around the corner, so I think that made a difference.