"Insecurity is just a perception"

[perry]

The fear of crime and its effects is overplayed and magnified by the media to create an effect . The murder rate and injury rate for crimes are far lower than from motor vehicles . Its ironic that these same people take all these precautions to avoid crime but the one that causes more suffering and death is avoided.

Seatbelts are not used especially in the back seats and often you see children travelling with the parents with no seatbelts . This is russian roulette as a seatbelt can protect you in an accident . Then you have the reckless driving and the lack of respect for others on the roads especially to pedestrians.

We should all be aware of these dangers much more as a society and not generate our attention on crime which kills and maims less than 20 % of people than the car you are driving in.

 

[SaraSara]

Gringoboy's post reminded me that my spare tire was stolen twice, once in broad daylight, with the car parked in front of my house and the security guy in his corner booth. After the second theft, I stopped contributing to the block's "security" service.

Some service...! Many believe they are the ones who alert thieves when someone is away, or when an expensive car is parked in their block. And small wonder, as they are paid minimum wage and are generally unskilled people who can get no other jobs.

Thieves are active in the daytime, too. The neighbor across the street had her niece stop by to pick up something - in one hour all four tires of her car were stolen, as well as the spare one and the radio.

And a friend a block away was held up at knife point at eight in the morning, when she was watering the potted plants by her front door. Being a resourceful woman, she directed the hose to the attacker's faces, who fled like cats...!

Anecdotes like these contribute to our erroneous "perception of insecurity". How comforting to be reassured by the authorities that it all in our minds, and not real...

 

[darmanad]

To what extent do the existence of "villas" which appear to be BA's analog to Rio's favelas contribute to crime and the feeling of insecurity in general? Why are places like villa 31 (located so close to Barrio Norte) permitted to exist?
By the entrance to the ecological reserve there is a villa practically adjacent to the posh highrises of Puerto Madero. Why don't local officials take action to remedy this situation?
Do AR/BA have eminent domain statutes that permit government entities to take control of property for the public good?

 

[syngirl]

I have yet to be personally victim of a crime, however my husband has had a few guns held to his head in Caballito about this time last year.

Regardless, I live in a nice area, I feel secure.

Yet telling me that Buenos Aires is safer than Sao Paulo, DF, Bogota or wherever irks me as much as that stupid box on the MetroGas bill that informs me that "If you lived in Sao Paulo, you'd pay THIS much; if you lived in Mexico City, you'd pay THIS much, if you lived in Santiago, you'd pay THIS much."

Well, I don't live in Santiago, DF, or Sao Paulo, I live here so my grievance is with what I pay in BA, and the same sentiment applies vis-a-vis issues of insecurity.

 

[Gringoboy]

Maybe it's because the very inhabitants of those villas are counted as 'votes'.

 

[SaraSara]

Maybe it's because the very inhabitants of those villas are counted as 'votes'.

I remember reading that 42% of the Villa 31 is peopled by Paraguayan nationals. The Bajo de Flores villa is full of Peruvians, many of them former Sendero Luminoso guerrillas who took control of the villa a few years ago and now deal drugs from there..

I don't know whether they can vote, but I do know a Paruvian woman who makes a good living as a piquetera - no Argentine ID needed for that.

 

[perry]

Crime is a problem I will not deny and it has increased in the last few years there is no doubt . I do believe that drugs are the main problem and the increase of paco into the community has has a corresponding effect.

For me personally the biggest crimes are corporate crimes and these are more common than street crimes and with a worse effect financially. These are mostly unpunished and yet we focus our attentions on crimes of deliquency.

 

[JHB1216]

I have yet to be personally victim of a crime, however my husband has had a few guns held to his head in Caballito about this time last year.

Regardless, I live in a nice area, I feel secure.

Yet telling me that Buenos Aires is safer than Sao Paulo, DF, Bogota or wherever irks me as much as that stupid box on the MetroGas bill that informs me that "If you lived in Sao Paulo, you'd pay THIS much; if you lived in Mexico City, you'd pay THIS much, if you lived in Santiago, you'd pay THIS much."

Well, I don't live in Santiago, DF, or Sao Paulo, I live here so my grievance is with what I pay in BA, and the same sentiment applies vis-a-vis issues of insecurity.

You rock!!! syngirl. You have said what I have been wanting to say for so long. There are people that have been fortunate to live in many places and they are here because they want to be here. Our REALITY is that we live here.

The fact they state it is far worse in Somalia, Santiago, DF, or Sao Paulo does not change the fact that your husband had guns to his head, our friends had their home invaded with the father having a gun to his head while his 13 year old daughter watched while they said they were going to kill him.

Violent crime has touched at least someone in most families that I know in Argentina. The fear does not subside once the crime has been committed and it just passed on.

 

[texxaslonghorn]

It seems to me that there are WAY more guns in the US. Hence, I'm a bit more afraid in the US than in Argentina. However, being a yanqui, I know that I stick out like a sore thumb, and this might make me more of a target.

I was once in the subte and had to walk close to a large group of cardboarders (that's what I call the cartoneros), and one of them grabbed the bottle of coke I was carrying. A few of the others tried to get in my face. Then, a guy that appeared to be their leader, told them to stop and told me he was sorry.

That was the only time I have been involved in anythign resembling a crime (I know, not much of a crime). So, I feel pretty safe in Argentina.

 

[tangobob]

Maybe it's because the very inhabitants of those villas are counted as 'votes'.

Maybe it's because the very inhabitants of these villas are human beings and don't deserve to be just cleared.