Crime In B.a.

[Matt84]

Hello, I'm a newcomer, coming to b.a. To stay 1 yr.......I'm sure this has be talked about ad infintum but how much do I need to be concerned being around san telmo at night with wife particularly near the rest. Sagardi.....also around centro at night......I've read about crime in b.a. As horrible but is it any worse than say downtown Miami at night or lower manhatten......any insight on crime would be appreciated.....thank you

Lower Manhattan (South of Chinatown) has not been unsafe for the last 15/20 years! IMO....
Paris metro can be quiet scary if you're not used to it, and some stations (to the North-East) can be actually dangerous.
The difference is that Buenos Aires being a Latin American city, it's already supposed to be dangerous and therefore there are some areas that are almost completely outside the "danger zone...!" like a ghetto in reverse (in Brazil they call it Alphavilles) : Recoleta, Retiro, Belgrano. If you must go to Centro and San Telmo both are perfectly safe during the day. I believe it's after 1 or 2am that the police evacuate that area and "liberate it" for criminal activity (that's the term here, to "liberate" an area).
I wouldn't worry unless you want to specifically do some urban trekking at 2am.
PS: a note about transvestites. They are men with as much testosterone as any other men, and they are "working" the streets at night, meaning they are in financial need. So yes, they are dangerous, not only by simple common sense, but also by so many stories I've heard that are not worth repeating here.

 

[cwo4uscgret]

My wife, Colombian, and I, a 6'2" and 270# American are staying in Palermo. Walking from Las Heras/Ugarteche to Cervino/Sinclair the other night with the mother of my step-son's wife and her husband someone started to follow us. Stopping and looking at him sort of changed his mind about anything he may have thought about doing. I'm a retired US Federal Law Enforcement Officer and 30 year retired military officer - I try to remain alert and attentive to my surroundings.

Ave. Santa Fe near Godoy Cruz to the Zoo isn't what I would call a good walking neighborhood at night. On the way back to La Heras/Ugarteche my Colombian counterpart (stepfather of my stepdaughter) was strongarm robbed of his watch...only! He was blocked by a motorcycle and grabbed by someone, who showed a knife. They grabbed his watch, pushed him down, and left. If I remember right it had a gold colored metal band. They didn't take his ring or any money, just the watch. I understand this is a common style of attack.

If we walk to my stepson's apartment it is over to Liberatador, to Ugarteche, and Las Heras. It seems safer that way; otherwise it is a cab.

Two years ago, my dear wife had her cellphone (I-Phone) snatched from her hands in Paris. I told her to come into the shop we were in and put the phone away...moments before! She is used to the police in Bogota and didn't want to do anything. The shop owner (and I) said no, we call the police around here. After about 10 minutes 1 plainclothes officer and 3 uniforms (in on car) arrived and took my wife, leaving me with my non-english (and me non-spanish speaking) mother-in-law standing alone on the street. In fairness to them I spotted at least two people whom I thought was watching us; one of them turned up at the police station later! After about 15-20 minutes a paddy wagon, the cruiser with 3 smiling officers and my wife, and 2 plainclothed officers arrived, in a little parade. They walked my wife to the paddy wagon, opened to door, and asked if that was the guy...she said yes. Off to the police station for 1-1/2 hours; she go her phone back (as did the woman who had her phone stolen 2 minutes after my wife's) positive ID, charged and arrested. the crook had a knife and pepper spray so I suspect he's gone away for a while...

 

[Bajo_cero2]

PS: a note about transvestites. They are men with as much testosterone as any other men, and they are "working" the streets at night, meaning they are in financial need. So yes, they are dangerous, not only by simple common sense, but also by so many stories I've heard that are not worth repeating here.

Right! A friend of a friend told you about it!

 

[wineguy999]

Right! A friend of a friend told you about it!

It happened to my friend's cousin...

 

[jbeas176]

My wife, Colombian, and I, a 6'2" and 270# American are staying in Palermo. Walking from Las Heras/Ugarteche to Cervino/Sinclair the other night with the mother of my step-son's wife and her husband someone started to follow us. Stopping and looking at him sort of changed his mind about anything he may have thought about doing. I'm a retired US Federal Law Enforcement Officer and 30 year retired military officer - I try to remain alert and attentive to my surroundings.
damn we have a lot in common. my hood. seems if you re female or carry yourself like a potential victim uh oh.

 

[jbeas176]

sorry still learning how to navigate websites and public forums

 

[jantango]

WHAT CAN SHORT-TIME VISITORS TO BUENOS AIRES DO IF THEY ARE ROBBED ON THE STREET?

If you don't have a good command of the language, call the Police Station with English-speaking personnel who assist tourists: 4346-5748 The address is Corrientes 436. They will direct you to the police station for the location where the crime was committed and help you file a report for insurance purposes. [email protected]

I witnessed a tango friend being robbed of her purse after a milonga as we walked down the street to a friend's car. She made two mistakes: 1 - held the purse strap in her hand, not over her shoulder; and 2 - she carried too many things she didn't want to lose: two cellphones, digital camera, eye glasses, cash, and her agenda with passwords.

To claim the loss with her insurance company, she needed to file a police report. We went to the police station a block from where the incident occurred, but were told to make the report at the Corrientes 436 station. There we met Dolores, an English-speaker, who went out of her way to handle the situation. She said that reports must be made in the jurisdiction where the robbery occurred. She accompanied us to the police station two blocks away where the report was filed. My friend didn't have time since she had to catch a flight later in the day. Dolores noted all the pertinent information: name, passport number, local address/phone, details of items stolen, etc. She handled giving the details to an officer on duty who entered all on the computer for the report. The process took about an hour. My friend had a short version of the report, signed and sealed, to provide to her insurance company. She was happy.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Thank you Jan for all the info. The most important thing (I believe) that you wrote was that she had with her too much and too important to lose. Remember people don't carry what you don't need.
Nancy

 

[nlaruccia]

But they offer their services in cabarets like hippopotamus or black while in downtown they are just sat in any bar or in the street. Mainly those who are in the street are men dressed like women plus a lot of silicons.

If you live in Recoleta is super safe.

Not anymore. The cabarets we're shut down. So that means they're in the streets now, while getting harassed by police.

 

[TWB103]

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