U.S. ‘expats’ that now reside in Costa Rica try to explain the Tico culture to their families and friends back home as, "Costa Rica is like the United States was 40 years ago”. In other words, many of the social norms and government problems the U.S. went through in the 1960’s are still experienced today in Costa Rica.

While this may not be a fair comparison on many levels, it is a quick and easy way of explaining some of the Costa Rica societal situations – along with perhaps the expected vision that Costa Rica will soon catch-up with the more developed nations in many aspects of government and life.

One such cultural characteristic of Costa Rica that is both deep rooted and unfortunately very public is a lack of respect for their own law enforcement … a common aspect of the 60’s U.S. culture (thus the ‘stepping back in time’ comparisons).

“Largate, largate” … or ‘beat it’, ‘go away’ was yelled by many in the crowd at the recent San José Festival de la Luz celebration whenever Costa Rica police would walk by on the parade route.

Valid arguments to justify mistrust by the general Costarricense public of government police agencies include; lack of qualifications or education for recruits, poor initial training, little or no in-service training and corruption from top officials down to the street-level officer.

Both Fuerza Pública national police and Policía Municipal city police have a heavy
presence in the Costa Rica capital of San José – however, it can be hard to find a police
officer in many outlying and rural areas.

The mistrust of Costa Ricans does not end with the effectiveness of the police, but of the entire criminal justice system. Too often the few criminals that are actually apprehended by the frequently scarce and slow to respond police are not even prosecuted with ‘lack of evidence’ cited as the main reason.

This broken system leaves Costa Rica citizens’ feeling the only real solution is to take matters into their own hands – especially when it comes to petty crime and repeat local offenders that plague a neighborhood, often referred to as "ladrones".

This Costa Rica thief was stripped down to his socks when residents of San Pedro
de Montes de Oca came to the rescue of a young man who had had his cell phone stolen.
The thief had hidden the phone in his privates.

The United States found the solution to improving its own police problems was to professionalize law enforcement. Active and public pursuits of police corruption, expectations of more accountability, better training, higher standards for police recruits and improved salaries to attract better officers all resulted in a better social image and increased respect for police by the American public.

New Costa Rica Fuerza Pública national police officers attend expanded academy classroom training.

Costa Rica although limited in resources, has the benefit of examples set by other nations when it comes to a blueprint for improving police effectiveness and crime reduction. Costa Rica recognizes public relations, confidence, trust and the cooperation of its own citizens is vital to long-term success.

Current President Oscar Arias’ administration and the Costa Rica legislature have attempted to reform many aspects of the criminal justice system.

This past year the Poder Judicial or Costa Rica court system instituted Tribunales de Flagrancia to combat clogged courts that have in the past released criminals back onto the streets for months if not years before bringing them to fractured versions of justice. The new system allows suspects caught in the act of a crime to be tried, convicted and sentenced within several hours. This trial program has been so successful in the San José capital area that it is expected to go nationwide in 2010.

Members of the Costa Rica Fuerza Pública national police force attend a public forum
on domestic violence at the University of Costa Rica (Universidad de Costa Rica – UCR).

Costa Rica Minister of Security (Ministerio de Seguridad Pública) Janina del Vecchio has publicly encouraged the reporting of police misconduct, pursued criminal charges against crooked police officials and put the entire national law enforcement community on notice that corruption will no longer be tolerated.

In addition to improving the system itself, Costa Rica law enforcement is getting more aggressive in pursuing the bad guys.

The Limón Province (Provincia de Limón) of Costa Rica that consists of the entire Caribbean coast from Panama to Nicaragua has increasingly been a security issue. Some areas had reportedly become almost lawless due to violent crimes committed by drug gangs in the business of trafficking cocaine from South America manufacturers to North America consumers.

Costa Rica Fuerza Pública national police gather for a morning directed patrol exercise.

The Costa Rica Fuerza Pública (national police force), Guardacostas (coast guard), Policía de Control de Drogas (PCD - drug enforcement police) and Organismo de Investigación Judicial agents (OIJ - Judicial Investigating Organization) have all been actively involved in Limón Province crime sweeps resulting in many arrests, the confiscation of large amounts of weapons and drugs, and a general interruption of many organized criminal enterprises that had operated freely in the past – resulting in a reported 23 percent reduction in area murders.

Since the beginning of the Arias administration in May 2006; the Security Ministry budget has gone from 62 billion colones ($111 million USD) to 124 billion colones ($221 million USD) proposed for the 2010 budget.

Costa Rica OIJ agents (Judicial Investigating Organization) and evidence technicians work a
crime scene in Vasquez de Coronado. The mid-day attempted armed robbery of a Sucre Farmacia
(pharmacy) was unsuccessful with three suspects and their black Honda CR-V taken into custody.

Additionally, in the last 3.5 years; 40,000 police officers have been added to Costa Rica agencies nationwide, a new tourist police force (Policía Turística) has been established to provide directed security for high tourist areas, law enforcement base wages have increased 25% and 92,974 kilos of cocaine have been seized in Costa Rica due to a coordinated drug interdiction program between Costa Rica, the United States, Columbia, Panama and Mexico.

Although reports from the Costa Rica Judicial Investigating Organization (OIJ) show January through November 2009 San José murders had decreased, robberies were down 4.9 percent and home invasions down 8.8 percent … recent polls show Costa Ricans feel that crime is getting worse.

Security remains the number one concern of Costa Rica citizens and the 2010 Costa Rica presidential candidates are all addressing national security within their respective campaign platforms.

Progress is coming; it will just take some time – as it has in every other developing nation.

For additional information on regional drug trafficking, see the article: "Costa Rica Latest Stop for Mexican Drug Gangs" at The Costa Rica Frog