I've looked at the crime stats for Argentina, and they indicate there is less crime than in the US. What are expats' thoughts on this? Has anyone been robbed, assaulted, or suffered a break in? Is Buenos Aires safer than New York? I'm not planning on living in Buenos Aires, and looking at a smaller city or village. I'm assuming that crime is lower in places like that.
Crime in Argentina
- Thread starter rdcooper
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I was robbed in 2019, in a dangerous neighborhood in broad daylight. There were people on the street. Three guys got to me and one held a fake pistol to my stomach. I did not know at the time the pistol was fake. They stole some things from me, but the police apprehended one of them, The police recovered some of my property. A criminal case was brought. Two men got 14 months each in prison. I don't go to that neighborhood since the robbery. But I do go to neighborhoods (Villas) that others describe as dangerous. For the record, I was mugged by two men in Chicago in 1976. I also drove a taxi in NYC in the 1980's. That was rightfully considered dangerous work, because cabbies were murdered on occasion. IMO there are no guaranties about personal security anywhere, unless you just want to sit on the couch.
Been here for 27 years w/o incident. I feel much safer here than in any big city in the US. Just conceal your phone when walking around. Come on down.
It's all relative I guess. I lived in Detroit for six years before moving here and, as a woman, I feel much safer in Buenos Aires than pretty much any city in the US. I remember being shocked when I first arrived here and saw so many people (women included) exercising in the parks after dark. Or just walking at night alone.
There's always a chance that you could get robbed, but unless you're in a bad neighborhood or being completely oblivious to your surroundings, it's not that likely. Anecdotally, I feel like there is more crime of opportunity than violent crime... which I can live with.
elhombresinnombre
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My two cents?
I think random crime is far less prevalent in the small towns and pueblos but targeted crime will happen anywhere. Other posters have talked about their own home invasions in CABA: my late F-i-L had his CABA house broken into and robbed by people who must have patiently taken down a section of the boundary wall over a period of weeks and then burst into the property from the rear. He didn't keep money at home and he had nothing of interest to thieves but I dare say, even though he was a native Argentine, the people who broke into his home must have presumed that this old man who stood out as different because he played classical music loudly on Sunday mornings must have been worth robbing.
I look the same as approximately one in twenty of the people who walk in the streets of Buenos Aires and because I don't wear Bermuda Shorts people don't give me a second glance - until I open my mouth. If you are going to live in the countryside, whatever you may think you are going to be different from everybody else. @steveinbsas has made a brilliant success of living his own life in a little pueblo - all credit to him. Kudos, Steve! But others have had their difficulties: let @Pensador @jbhenson @mc kenna (and many more) tell their own stories or you can search BAExpats and read them for yourself.
I think random crime is far less prevalent in the small towns and pueblos but targeted crime will happen anywhere. Other posters have talked about their own home invasions in CABA: my late F-i-L had his CABA house broken into and robbed by people who must have patiently taken down a section of the boundary wall over a period of weeks and then burst into the property from the rear. He didn't keep money at home and he had nothing of interest to thieves but I dare say, even though he was a native Argentine, the people who broke into his home must have presumed that this old man who stood out as different because he played classical music loudly on Sunday mornings must have been worth robbing.
I look the same as approximately one in twenty of the people who walk in the streets of Buenos Aires and because I don't wear Bermuda Shorts people don't give me a second glance - until I open my mouth. If you are going to live in the countryside, whatever you may think you are going to be different from everybody else. @steveinbsas has made a brilliant success of living his own life in a little pueblo - all credit to him. Kudos, Steve! But others have had their difficulties: let @Pensador @jbhenson @mc kenna (and many more) tell their own stories or you can search BAExpats and read them for yourself.
daveholman
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I've been here since January, and haven't felt even a little unsafe, in BsAs or Cordoba.
But like the previous poster said, I look pretty average here. I also don't do obvious dumb stuff like flash my bankroll or try to procure drugs and hookers.
I also have a fairly large circle of friends who've been here from mere days to 25 years, and their reports of being victims seem less than my friends in big American cities.
Purely anecdotal, but it feels like a pretty safe place.
But like the previous poster said, I look pretty average here. I also don't do obvious dumb stuff like flash my bankroll or try to procure drugs and hookers.
I also have a fairly large circle of friends who've been here from mere days to 25 years, and their reports of being victims seem less than my friends in big American cities.
Purely anecdotal, but it feels like a pretty safe place.
I was pick-pocketed once on a bus; had my phone grabbed out of my hand on Avenida Santa Fe near 9 de Julio. That's all. Many years have passed since then without incident. I feel very safe in (the heart of) Recoleta but I have to admit that when I have to go to some places in the Provincia I get a little nervous.
Ronnie Hotdogs
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Parts of the conurbano are obviously bit dodgy.
Think most places within the city limits are really quite safe except for the villas.
Think most places within the city limits are really quite safe except for the villas.
Some thoughts:
- CABA in general, except for places like Bajo Flores or Villa 31 is generally very safe, aside from petty theft and quality of life violations
- Zona Sur and Oeste are pretty depressing, at least where my in laws live. It's like going back to the 19th century sometimes with cartoneros using horses and trash being burned in the street. Crime is about what you'd expect, senseless murders for everything from phones to bikes, home invasions where the poor rob the poor, and people being shot for a VW Polo that's falling apart. This all happens miles away from million dollar McMansions in gated communities
- The further you get away from cities and the suburbs the safer things are generally; sleepy towns in the interior, Norte, Provincia, and Patagonia probably have gone decades without crime, let alone murder or robbery
- The villafication of basically everywhere is an issue. The government does a pretty good job honestly of mapping villas and their population here: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/obras-publicas/sisu/renabap/mapa as you can see, no province is spared, yet Patagonia suffers the least, though they do exist as I've personally seen them in Neuquen Capital, Bariloche, and Rio Grande
- Crime varies by province, in Santa Fe it's narcotrafficking, in Jujuy it's smuggling, in CABA money laundering and tax evasion are probably the main crimes, yet people probably think cell phone theft is more common
- Tourists/foreigners living Argentina will probably only ever be exposed to petty theft, financial crimes, or scams as opposed to murder for a 100 dollar bicycle
- The police and "justice" system in Argentina is corrupt, incompetent, and incompetently corrupt. Look at Toast's example, in the rate case where they actually did something, armed robbery gets you basically a year in jail
- In PBA specifically, I trust the thieves more than the police, at least you can reason with criminals, they're motivated by money or drugs or something, while the Bonaerense are just a gang of thugs like those LA County Sherif Deputies gangs that do crimes for fun. There's less qualified immunity here, but also less accountability. Sergio Berni's goons murdered Facundo Astudillo Castro, and his family has never seen justice/they covered it up as a drowning because you know how much people love to go swimming in the winter near Bahia Blanca...
- CABA in general, except for places like Bajo Flores or Villa 31 is generally very safe, aside from petty theft and quality of life violations
- Zona Sur and Oeste are pretty depressing, at least where my in laws live. It's like going back to the 19th century sometimes with cartoneros using horses and trash being burned in the street. Crime is about what you'd expect, senseless murders for everything from phones to bikes, home invasions where the poor rob the poor, and people being shot for a VW Polo that's falling apart. This all happens miles away from million dollar McMansions in gated communities
- The further you get away from cities and the suburbs the safer things are generally; sleepy towns in the interior, Norte, Provincia, and Patagonia probably have gone decades without crime, let alone murder or robbery
- The villafication of basically everywhere is an issue. The government does a pretty good job honestly of mapping villas and their population here: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/obras-publicas/sisu/renabap/mapa as you can see, no province is spared, yet Patagonia suffers the least, though they do exist as I've personally seen them in Neuquen Capital, Bariloche, and Rio Grande
- Crime varies by province, in Santa Fe it's narcotrafficking, in Jujuy it's smuggling, in CABA money laundering and tax evasion are probably the main crimes, yet people probably think cell phone theft is more common
- Tourists/foreigners living Argentina will probably only ever be exposed to petty theft, financial crimes, or scams as opposed to murder for a 100 dollar bicycle
- The police and "justice" system in Argentina is corrupt, incompetent, and incompetently corrupt. Look at Toast's example, in the rate case where they actually did something, armed robbery gets you basically a year in jail
- In PBA specifically, I trust the thieves more than the police, at least you can reason with criminals, they're motivated by money or drugs or something, while the Bonaerense are just a gang of thugs like those LA County Sherif Deputies gangs that do crimes for fun. There's less qualified immunity here, but also less accountability. Sergio Berni's goons murdered Facundo Astudillo Castro, and his family has never seen justice/they covered it up as a drowning because you know how much people love to go swimming in the winter near Bahia Blanca...
