Costa Rica Crime Report
This morning I discovered my wallet missing from my previous days’ pants pocket here in Costa Rica.
A search of the house, car, etc. turned-up nothing. Gone was all my Costa Rica identification, local debit cards, U.S. credit cards … most everything important except for my passport (which remains at home).
In between canceling local bank cards and going to my local Banco Costa Rica to obtain a new Costa Rica Cedula (National Identification) and C.R. drivers license I called a friend to see if they could visit the Moravia, Costa Rica café I had sat in the previous night – just in case my wallet had fell out of my pocket at the restaurant and an honest customer or employee had turned it in. A stretch on many different levels.
Within 15 minutes my friend called back and said the café had my wallet, but they would not release it to my friend … that I had to retrieve it myself, matching the identification in the wallet.
About 45 minutes later I had my wallet with everything intact. The waitress that found my wallet seemed genuinely happy to return it to me.
That’s all for this Costa Rica crime report (or lack there of
) 
Posted by Bill Clanton at 6/30/2009 5:38 PM 
Categories: Drivers License in Costa Rica,Life in Costa Rica,Crime in Costa Rica,News from Costa Rica,Living in Costa Rica,Culture in Costa Rica,Banking in Costa Rica
Tags: money Costa Rica Crime Culture Living
Categories: Drivers License in Costa Rica,Life in Costa Rica,Crime in Costa Rica,News from Costa Rica,Living in Costa Rica,Culture in Costa Rica,Banking in Costa Rica
Tags: money Costa Rica Crime Culture Living
Thats cool!
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The same thing happened when my girlfriend forgot her cellphone at a small store in Santa Ana. The owner of the store started calling all frequently dialled numbers from my girlfriend's cellphone and when she reached me I said I could go pick it up as my girlfriend was tied up at work. She said she could not give it to me but that I should tell her where the cellphone is and that she could come pick it up any time.
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Wow! That is a really good turn out! Usually people arent so lucky!
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In Coronado, I had a teen-aged guy call out and catch up with me to return a 10,000 note I dropped from my pocket.
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I guess there are some honest people in the world after all
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What a great story. Pura vida.
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After reading about Bill Clanton's missing wallet story, I felt compelled to write mine, which unfortunately didn't end as happily as his. Last month, my wife and I boarded the bus from Barrio de San José into Alajuela. The bus became stalled in traffic and everyone decided to get off. As I stood up, a gentleman dropped to the floor in front of me and kept grabbing at my feet and legs. Looking down, I could see him snatch up a pair of glasses but he kept reaching for my feet and in a matter of seconds, seemingly retrieved a lens from his glasses from one of my shoes. I didn't think too much about it even when I discovered my wallet missing, I figured I had just left it at home. When I got back home, of course, the wallet was nowhere to be found, and only then did I realize that I had been robbed. Luckily, I never carry much money, and only lost 5,000 colones and my driver's liscense, cedula, and debit card. I quickly put a stop on the debit card, and have spent the past month awaiting my new cedula. Although I didn't loose too much, it has created a mountain of difficulties for me. The police weren't even interested.
Ten days after that incident, same bus, same modus operandii, only this time a woman dropping to the floor in front of me as I started to disembark from the bus. These thieves are slick, but they aren't very bright. Of course, I didn't have a wallet for them to steal the second time. Unbelieveable!
Third time is the charm, as they say. If it happens again, the person on the floor will get a mouth-full of dirty tennis shoe, because I'm not playing anymore.
Steve Mudd
Alajuela
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I appreciate your sharing that story, Bill. Sometimes we only see the negative--in the press and whatnot. In Quepos, Amelia left her ATM card at the ATM and a Tico man literally chased her down several blocks to return it to her.
Kelly N Patterson
ICCCR, Growing sustainable communities in Costa Rica seeds to village
www.icccr.info
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YEAHHHH!! We need MORE POSITIVE stories like that because those stories DO happen!!!
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In the spring of 2006 I was returning to my home near Guadalupe de Alajuela from a visit to Florida of two weeks. I had many thigs I was bringing back for the Band B I was operating at the time. When I left the Orange airport Taxi I was excited to be back at my beloved Villa Luna, see my dog, and was not paying attention as I unpacked my car with the help of the taxista and my caretaker. About an hour latter I realized I didn't have my laptop and realized it was probably in the Taxi. I jumped in my car and drove down the mountain to the airport just as the Taxi stand was closing, and they had it waiting for me. I had them call the taxista and he returned so I could give him a reward for his honesty...Good things do happen here in Costa Rica!
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Police say they have cleaned up downtown San José
By Saray Ramírez Vindas of the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Fuerza Pública chief for San José said Wednesday that his officers have made 5,600 arrests in the first five months of the year and significantly cleaned up the central city.
The claim was backed up by a security director of a downtown hotel who said that his staff has not heard of a guest being robbed in the last four months.
Carlos León Retana, chief of the Delegación Metropolitana, gave a presentation to business people and area residents complete with slides Wednesday night. The main points were that the results of efforts have not been reflected in the news media and that walking in the downtown after dark is much safer.
According to Fuerza Pública statistics, the 1,000 to 1,200 monthly arrests in the first five months of 2009 compare favorably with the little more than 400 arrests per month made in the same period in 2008.
Police officers have been targeting drugs and drug use, prostitution, sexual exploitation and beggars. Prostitution, although allowed, is targeted because it generates other crimes, he said. And many of the downtown beggars are criminals. In the past, these homeless persons, mostly drug users, have been ignored, but the Fuerza Pública launched Operación Cartón, which referred to the cardboard boxes in which many beggars sleep.
Many of those listed as being arrested are immigration violators.
The Judicial Investigating Organization still has logged 1,618 crimes against property in the central area in the first six months of the year, according to the police slide show. That number includes 680 robberies, which are considered crimes against property. The total also includes 447 burglaries and 180 thefts from cars.
The total also includes five home invasions and robberies.
Absent from the statistics were murders, and there have been some, including during a robbery.
The area covered by the metropolitan district runs from Calle 42 on the west to 37 on the east. Areas of particular concern are Barrio Escalante and the Santa Teresita area, Barrio Amón and Parque Morazán.
León said that two Liceo de Costa Rica students were detained in the park where they are accused of robbing passers-by at gunpoint at 7 a.m. before classes.
In Barrio Escalante, four men who rode bikes and are robbery suspects were detained, he said. Four cars were confiscated in other cases in that area, he added.
The Fuerza Pública effort has been going on for a year. Anna Durán Salvatierra, a vice minister of Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, said the main goal was to let people again walk the streets. León said the agency also was trying to weed out policemen who were extorting money or otherwise being lawbreakers.
Manuel Soto, director of security for the Aurola Holiday Inn, agreed that conditions have improved. It was he who said the hotel has not seen the robbery of a guest for four months.
The hotel faces Parque Morazán, which is traveled heavily by tourists on their way downtown or to the casinos on Avenida 1. The park used to be the scene of frequent robberies. León said the Fuerza Pública has increased its presence there.
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You have NO IDEA how extremely rare that is for Costa Rica...seriously...you got really REALLY lucky.
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Yeap, 1000's of these stories.
But the ones everyone focus on are the few of the bandits. I have traveled Costa Rica for 25 years and some of the finest people I know are from there. Yes I agree the crime is getting worse, but nobody hates it more than the Costa Rican. Of course lets don't kid yourself, there are more places in Atlanta that you would not want to walk , than in San Jose.... So crime will grow until the people have had enough and start to stand..
I am trying hard to start costaricalifestyles.info an online magazine about the truth in Costa Rica, the Good , Bad and Ugly, there just isn;t much ugly..
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I'm from the beautful Chicago area ... but like Atlanta, it has it's share of crime and bad neighborhoods.
Just this Fourth of July holiday weekend Chicago experienced 63 shootings, 1 stabbing & 10 deaths.
Kinda makes San Jose, Costa Rica look like a crime-free utopia!
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Thanks for posting that story. Next time you'll call the restaurant first before you cancell everything! Of course, there won't be a next time...
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