"Insecurity is just a perception"

[SaraSara]

These are the results of a world-wide Gallup poll asking people if they felt safe going out after dark:

-- 61% of Argentines are afraid to go out at night
-- The worldwide average is 36%.
-- Only in 31 of the 105 surveyed countries were people more afraid to go out after dark than in Argentina.

But cheer up: according to government officials, crime is not a reality but just a "feeling", a "perception": No hay inseguridad, solo hay una sensacion de inseguridad.

The same government officials have assured me that Santa Claus WILL be coming down my chimney December 24th. Having total trust in the government's official information, I've had the chimney swept in anticipation for his arrival.

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1320463

 

[Bajo_cero2]

As a criminal lawyer I can tell you that there was never such a lack of work as nowadays, so it is rotten fish.
I agree that in this contry the "security issue" is a way to make politics that the right uses too much.
As a milonguero I go out every single night, I have just scared of the rain.
Regards

 

[erocifeller]

Out of all the cities I have lived in in Latin America, Buenos Aires has probably felt like the safest.

Practically every night for the last 5 months I go out and wander the streets for an hour or so, observing the cartoneros and chatting with them. I have never ONCE felt in danger.

I do sense some fear from some of my porteño friends and after reading the local news, I have began to believe it is strongly media related (a mere social construction of fear!!).

Sure, events do occur, violent ones, but they are far and between when compared to total population, other cities of equal population, insert other variables, etc.

But my personal experiences are not a strong enough correlation ... just a perception, which is equally as valid!

 

[sergio]

Glad it is such a safe place. Makes me feel better.

 

[earlyretirement]

I've been to every country in South America and travel quite often. Buenos Aires is still relatively "safe" compared to many other countries in Latin America, however I can tell you that crime has definitely gotten worse over the past few years.

Fortunately violent crimes are still relatively low here but petty crime has skyrocketed here.

Also, there are a lot of serious crime that is never reported to the police as the locals simply don't trust them. A good friend of mine this year had his daughter kidnapped. Granted, he is an extremely wealthy guy so he is more at risk but imagine your daughter getting kidnapped with the threat of cutting off each finger and then killing her if you don't pay a 500,000 peso ransom. Things like that happen all the time and never reported.

Also, a few weeks ago while our good friend (a Portena) was driving around in Palermo with her child in the back seat in a baby seat.... a thief on a motorcycle broke her window at a stop light and stole her purse. Things like that are becoming more common.

I don't think anyone can successfully argue that crime isn't increasing here because it is.

Still, I do agree that locals exaggerate the crime. I never feel threatened here or get the feeling of having to look over my shoulder like when I'm in Rio. Also, Argentines that moved abroad tend to exaggerate the crime more than anyone. However, definitely I can see the street crime increasing. Several of my employees have gotten robbed this year.

 

[mmoon]

I go out at night. Alone sometimes as well. I always stay hyper-aware of what's going on around me, but I know something could happen regardless. (It's the same on the train, or the subte, or downtown in the middle of the day.) Still, I'm not going to be stuck in my little apartment in one of the best night cities in the world. In my neighborhood, there are always people walking around, whether alone, in pairs, with dogs, even far too late into the evening with children. Big cities are dangerous. Frankly, if you can't deal with it, don't live here. This city in particular is obsessed with security and the endless crime coverage on TV, and I think it's making people crazy.

 

[pauper]

These are the results of a world-wide Gallup poll asking people if they felt safe going out after dark:

-- 61% of Argentines are afraid to go out at night
-- The worldwide average is 36%.
-- Only in 31 of the 105 surveyed countries were people more afraid to go out after dark than in Argentina.

But cheer up: according to government officials, crime is not a reality but just a "feeling", a "perception": No hay inseguridad, solo hay una sensacion de inseguridad.

The same government officials have assured me that Santa Claus WILL be coming down my chimney December 24th. Having total trust in the government's official information, I've had the chimney swept in anticipation for his arrival.

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1320463

Of course insecurity is a perception. There is no objective definition of insecurity, it's not like x number of murders /100000 inhabitants or above = insecurity hence it falls into the subjective realms of opinion, sensation, perception. I don't feel at all unsafe in this city, other people on this forum clearly do. Even if one tried to do a statistical analysis plotting Argentina on a normal distribution of violent crime worldwide it would fall somewhere in the middle, defining it as unsafe would be effectively defining the normal state of the world as unsafe, again some would agree but that's their perception.

 

[mmoon]

Be aware. Be careful. Cross your fingers. And enjoy BA!
I can't imagine being afraid to go out here at night and yet still wanting to live in this city. (Of course, I am referring to expats who have a choice to stay or go.) Nights, Sundays and Sunny-Spring-November-Mondays are the best times in BA!

 

[SaraSara]

My next door neighbor was held up at a gunpoint at ten in the evening by two men who tried to force her to let them into the house. She started screaming, the neighbor on the other side went out on the sidewalk to see what was going on, the neighbor across the street leant out of the window, and the assailants got into a car and fled.

This happened in "safe" San Isidro, with a private security guard in a booth in the corner.

I've become one of that 61% of Argentines who don't feel safe going out at night. I don't drive alone to and from downtown parties anymore, but take a remise and have the driver wait until I'm inside my gate.

 

[earlyretirement]

Actually Sara the crime levels in San Isidro is higher than in the city. You couldn't pay me enough to live out there in the boonies. All those private security guards are in on the con. I know many people that live in nice communities out there and they told me that the security guards are actually the ones that call their thief friends when they know the owners are on vacation.

I still feel safe in the city even at night. I think that it's safer in these highrises and buildings in Recoleta and Palermo vs. being out in San Isidro. I know several people out there that got their houses broken into out there. Some multiple times.