Crime in Santo Domingo

Mcinbrass

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
835
66
48
Lets talk about each ones experience with being victim of crime in Santo Domingo. Please everyone share your stories and lets make an effort to bring to light some of the problems that exist. Possible solutions and ways we can avoid becoming victims.
 

sanpedrogringo

I love infractions!
Sep 2, 2011
2,911
0
0
I can't speak of Santo Domingo, as I don't spend time there. I only hear or read information from the news, or what people post here on DR1. Regardless of Santo Domingo, or any other place in the world, I can offer you some very quick starting points though.
1. Learn the language of the nation you are in. You NEED to know what is being said around you. Are you going to master the language for a seven day stay, of course not, but you should have a basic idea of what's going on around you. More than seven days is a different story. I am amazed at how many people visit the DR long term (snowbirds), or reside here and do not speak one word of Spanish. A person smiling at you, or giving you loving eyes, can be the same person that is about to rob you, or even worse. At the minimum, give yourself a chance.
2. Stop flashing what others do not have. No reason to be flashing the bling-bling. Watches, bracelets, neck chains, $500+ handbag with it's contents, cellphones, cellphones, tablets, tablets,......get the idea? Flash what others don't have long enough, and you will be without your's soon enough.
3. If you live your life with caution where you live, do the same while you are here. If you don't, you need to adapt. This is 2017. Does not make things correct, but this is reality.
4. Stop distracting yourself. Cellphone/tablet. Pay attention to your surroundings.
I am a bit pressed for time this afternoon, but will try to add more later. Examining the reasons for crime, how it occurs, and how to prevent it, are usually right in front of us, and necessitate including common sense and responsibility. This is not to second guess, nor blame victims, but crime and becoming a victim are preventable. Again, common sense and responsibility are a priority.
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
9,513
2,783
113
5. dont dress like a tourist .. so like in santo domingo , wear slacks and a **** at night, not shorts and a flower shirt..
6. dont walk like a tourist. like you are lost .. walk like you know where you going . and obviously dont ask stupid questions of strangers esp at night .
7. be extra careful early morning hours.. the sun being up does NOT mean its now Safe,. probably the most dangerous time from like 6 am to even 8 am.. in areas where not a lot of people are around. Coming from the usa, we assume once the SUN is up, we are now safe .. not true .so dont walk deserted places those hours. Even Dominicans going to work those hours are special careful.
 

JorgeT

I love DR1!!
Mar 24, 2017
14
0
0
One day I was eating fry fish in one of those little beach places in Sosua beach. Next thing this young German guy came and
asked if he could sit at my table. He told me he did not have money and that he was hungry. Then he asked me if I could buy him something to eat. He added that all week long all he had to eat was cereal and milk. So I let him have my left overs since I was not very hungry and I only had eaten half of the fry fish. Then, I asked him what happen, how things got so bad for him. He told me that he was conned by another German and lost most of his money in a very bad deal. I felt sorry for him. So then I said to myself that you might get robbed by a Dominican and lose a couple of Pesos, but an expatriate could clean you out.
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
9,513
2,783
113
btw i thought I said S H I R T as in DRESS Shirt before .. not a dirty word.. I have no idea why it was censored ..
could have been a typo. my apologies .
 

Mcinbrass

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
835
66
48
There are tons of stories on that here on DR1, the problem is the search engine. :ermm:

We need one that makes a difference. Most if not all of the others end up as a blame the victim thread or gets shut down because I know for a fact the moderators and owners of this platform do not like the topic discussed here.
 

ju10prd

On Vacation!
Nov 19, 2014
4,210
0
36
Accountkiller
First thing the OP should do to avoid another statistic, is to immediately retract his previously posted advice in other threads about those visitors arriving at SDQ to go upstairs to the arrival drop off and find a taxi to take you to the city because it is cheaper!
 

alexw

Gold
Sep 6, 2008
1,091
118
63
NYC-SDQ BABY!
First thing the OP should do to avoid another statistic, is to immediately retract his previously posted advice in other threads about those visitors arriving at SDQ to go upstairs to the arrival drop off and find a taxi to take you to the city because it is cheaper!

That's actually good advice and that's where uber picks you up if you choose to use it from the airport. I recommend that plan during day.
 

Mcinbrass

Bronze
Jan 2, 2002
835
66
48
First thing the OP should do to avoid another statistic, is to immediately retract his previously posted advice in other threads about those visitors arriving at SDQ to go upstairs to the arrival drop off and find a taxi to take you to the city because it is cheaper!

That is actually a way to avoid being ripped off by the taxis the minute you enter the country!
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
A la Jackie Gleason.....

And Away we Go........

same old , same old about things... taxi, Uber.....

Another thread bites the dust.....
 

ju10prd

On Vacation!
Nov 19, 2014
4,210
0
36
Accountkiller
A la Jackie Gleason.....

And Away we Go........

same old , same old about things... taxi, Uber.....

Another thread bites the dust.....

It didn't bite the dust. It bit the dust when the OP was crafted.

The issue in Santo Domingo is crime against all the citizens and there is in reality very little that affects foreigners because we are so few percentage wise in the city.

Crime committed against those of us that live here with loved ones and the innocent ones such as the lady this past Monday dropping kids at school is an example of the issue and it should not be a vehicle for someone who by past record is looking for any excuse to run down the DR and security.

He needs to read the local media day in day out to grasp the issues and if he doesn't like it move on.

The citizens of the city are far from happy about the current insecurity and are lobbying hard. The government appears to be listening and there are some noticeable changes around. We all want more but this is not like back home.

Fact is that even if you live in a city in a developed nation, insecurity is an issue even with well established security and police operations.

Santo Domingo is a big urban area with poverty next to riches and so policing becomes so much harder. The real crime stories and solutions lie with those that live here day to day and run the risks. Those expats visiting need to be made aware that it is not like home and ignore wayward advice.
 

ROLLOUT

Silver
Jan 30, 2012
2,198
35
48
I shared my story years ago, so I won't go into great detail. My first trip to the DR, and, long story short, my rental car was stolen by THE RENTAL CAR COMPANY from the parking lot of the hotel! after many hours in the police station, in insurance co office (they were alleging that I stole the car), I hi-tailed it out of country before an impediment could be place on my passport.
Lots of lessons learned during that 1st trip.
 

sanpedrogringo

I love infractions!
Sep 2, 2011
2,911
0
0
It didn't bite the dust. It bit the dust when the OP was crafted.

The issue in Santo Domingo is crime against all the citizens and there is in reality very little that affects foreigners because we are so few percentage wise in the city.

Crime committed against those of us that live here with loved ones and the innocent ones such as the lady this past Monday dropping kids at school is an example of the issue and it should not be a vehicle for someone who by past record is looking for any excuse to run down the DR and security.

He needs to read the local media day in day out to grasp the issues and if he doesn't like it move on.

The citizens of the city are far from happy about the current insecurity and are lobbying hard. The government appears to be listening and there are some noticeable changes around. We all want more but this is not like back home.

Fact is that even if you live in a city in a developed nation, insecurity is an issue even with well established security and police operations.

Santo Domingo is a big urban area with poverty next to riches and so policing becomes so much harder. The real crime stories and solutions lie with those that live here day to day and run the risks. Those expats visiting need to be made aware that it is not like home and ignore wayward advice.
ju10prd='Baghdad Bob'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfAeMtcURg0
Stop lying to the people. This is the Dominican Republic, not Cuba!
 

sanpedrogringo

I love infractions!
Sep 2, 2011
2,911
0
0
It didn't bite the dust. It bit the dust when the OP was crafted.

The issue in Santo Domingo is crime against all the citizens and there is in reality very little that affects foreigners because we are so few percentage wise in the city.

Crime committed against those of us that live here with loved ones and the innocent ones such as the lady this past Monday dropping kids at school is an example of the issue and it should not be a vehicle for someone who by past record is looking for any excuse to run down the DR and security.

He needs to read the local media day in day out to grasp the issues and if he doesn't like it move on.

The citizens of the city are far from happy about the current insecurity and are lobbying hard. The government appears to be listening and there are some noticeable changes around. We all want more but this is not like back home.

Fact is that even if you live in a city in a developed nation, insecurity is an issue even with well established security and police operations.

Santo Domingo is a big urban area with poverty next to riches and so policing becomes so much harder. The real crime stories and solutions lie with those that live here day to day and run the risks. Those expats visiting need to be made aware that it is not like home and ignore wayward advice.
I almost reached for a tissue. Are you running for public office?
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
There are tons of stories on that here on DR1, the problem is the search engine. :ermm:
And it´s been posted many times how to do a better search on DR1 or other sites using Google.

With Google, type in the following:

site:dr1.com Your-item/subject-to-search-for


Try the following example
It will list only DR1 results with posts containing the word "Santiago"

site:dr1.com Santiago


NOTE:

Google can not search the Off-Topic forum as the forum is restricted to members with 500+ posts.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Any big city whether in the DR or elsewhere has it's pittfalls. If possible, especially at night, do not go out alone. Hang with a friend and stay in more frequented areas. Nothing good happens after 2am so if you are staying out all night don't get wasted to the point where you have lost your way to determine what is safe. Do Not carry a lot of cash and if you go out bring one credit card and some pesos. Leave your wallet at home, along with any bling. Keep your guard up and be careful who you be-friend. Better safe than sorry.

'
 

Seamonkey

Bronze
Oct 6, 2009
1,896
755
113
I live in Sosua and visit the capital every three months for about 3-4days. I always stay at the same hotel in Zona Colonial. I walk El Conde and its parameters everyday and up to China Town as well. I walk the malecon morning and night and take cabs everywhere else. So far all with no incidence. I've been lucky but I also don't draw attention to myself. I dress like the locals and keep to myself.
 

Blueceo

Member
Nov 1, 2015
192
22
18
I have lived in Santo Domingo off and on since 2007 and have only experienced two crime incidents. The first was when I was in the Colonial Zone parked overnight and when I came out of the hotel in the morning my drivers side mirror was stolen (closest to the sidewalk). The second was a time I was parked in front of the McDonalds on Churchill using their internet before leaving for the airport to fly out to the U.S. I had my suitcases in the back seat of my pickup and when I came out the window was smashed in and the smallest suitcase was missing. Nothing of value, but a pain in the butt to get the window fixed at the last minute. That's it in all these years. I'm very aware of my surroundings and very careful when taking money from an ATM. I know the areas of the city to avoid and feel relatively safe moving around the entire country. Santo Domingo is not much worse then any large metropolitan city in the world, and I've been to most of them. I love the DR!!!