why do people want to believe crime is on the increase

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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Do they WANT to? Is it just more publicised as media coverage is getting better and better? Is it any worse here than anywhere else? Why discuss a hypothetical subject?
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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Near Cabarete in the last week - 4 home robberies in Costa Azul, 14 apartments/homes broken into in one night near Encuentro... and Christmas season approaching soon which more often than not leads to an increase in petty thefts.

I agree with Whirleybird that no one 'wants' to believe it, but it's real.
I disagree with Whirleybird to some degree as many of these type of crimes receive little or no coverage in the media and often don't make it to DR1.

As a qualifier, the 'serious' crimes that have been occurring in this area for the last year or so have mostly been home robberies.

Important reminder for anyone not familiar with DR and reading this or other crime threads: I hear of very little affecting visitors/tourists directly. Certainly a very low percentage based on the total # of visitors. By my reckoning, for tourists the DR is about as safe as you can find anywhere in the world - unless you act the fool. You'd almost have to make an effort to run into serious trouble.
 

drloca

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Oct 26, 2004
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Well...at the risk of generalizing...not my favourite...I think its pretty much a world wide phenomenon...to some degree.
 

tht

Master of my own fate.
Oct 10, 2002
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..I'm beating a dead horse here..

I don't think crime is higher than it was two weeks ago but in certain parts of the country crime is significantly higher than it was ten years ago. I don?t just ?believe? it, I know because I see it. Over and out.<o></o>
 

Berzin

Banned
Nov 17, 2004
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There seems to be two schools of thought here on this subject-

1) Crime is not increasing, its the level of exposure by the media thats' making it seem so.

2) If you're a tourist and you get caught in a situation, more than likely it was your fault because you have to have done something stupid to put yourself in that situation.

But let me address some details-it is true as has been reported that in the cocaine trade, dealers are now being paid in product instead of cash. So they are left to unload their drugs on dominicans.

I am assuming a domino effect whereas the more drugs and addicts around, the greater the increase in crime is going to be.

Or is it safe to assume that this method of paying for drug transactions have little or no effect on the overall levels of crime?

Or does it even matter if it the majority of these crimes are happening in the barrios and should only be of concern when the more affluent sections of the DR are affected?
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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I don't think crime is higher than it was two weeks ago but in certain parts of the country crime is significantly higher than it was ten years ago. I don?t just ?believe? it, I know because I see it. Over and out.<o></o>

Or 20 years ago. It used to be most crime was robbery with nobody getting hurt. Now victims are more likely to be beaten, even killed.
 
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naturelover

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i was meaning that as soon as something happens here everyone says the places is getting bad with crime....people that havent lived in their own country for years presume its the same there(in their original country) as it was when they left
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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Crack

For instance, up in Las Terrenas there were between 5 and 15 crack distribution points, and any attempts to close them down were thwarted by leaks from inside the police. You cannot have security inside a community if you have crack cocaine. Simple. But also, the only paper in LT would not report the incidences of crime since so many people were dependent on tourism and selling real estate.

It is true that the DR and Haiti are major transit points for cocaine - but perhaps the spread of crack, the addicting of the local population, are new phenomenon. Unfortunately, many Dominicans are very naive about drugs, thinking, for instance that crack and marijuana are on the same level of "drugas" . I have not heard of any serious police actions against crack and the crack houses - sort of like in the States - let the poor people kill each other- but really it seems that this - rather than even the transporting of cocaine in and out of the country - is the main issue facing the country.

Of course, if the only sort of development is going to be Cap Cana like enclaves for the super rich which can all be guarded, then there is no problem. But if the DR seriously wants to promote itself as a destination for retirees or second homes, it must start talking publically about Crack, and start eradicating its sale and use.

Otherwise, there is very little hope for the place.
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Right on Mountainannie. I've been saying it for some time now that these measures of closing down bars at midnight, police checkpoints, etc are pointless and that the main reason that's driving the increase in crime (and yes there's definitely an increase) is drugs (specifically Crack). I don't have to go anywhere or have anyone tell me to see the increase. In my hometown (not even close to a tourist area) there are now many well known crack selling points. They re so brazen that they cook it right on the street in front of everyone. The police you ask? Of course they protect these individuals. It is well known that you can even get it delivered (just like a Pizza) if you wish.

Regular people don't seem to understand the effect these types of drugs have on society and crime.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
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discuss...lol
For a while there have been some indications that crime is on a downward trend.

I'm sure the decrease is not nationally homogeneous, but there are many places all over the DR that has seen a marked decrease in crime as of late, especially of the violent nature.

However, as everything else, public perception tends to lag mostly because people in general tend to create linear perceptions in their minds that conditions will either become better or worst, depending if their experience and perception has been of an improvement or deterioration. Thus, a shift from a growing crime problem to a decrease in crime will not register in public perception until there has been a decrease of crime for a prolong period of time.

This gives people the opportunity to compare and contrast between their situation at that particular moment in time with the recent past.

In other words, when people in general begin to believe that a decrease in crime is occurring, usually it means that the decrease was occurring during the time most people refused to accept it.

Its the same thing in vice versa and with everything else in life. For example, in the U.S. most Americans believe that mobility between the socio-economic classes is now at its greatest in the U.S.; however all recent studies and data show that mobility is actually less now than it was in the past and the likelihood that a person born in a particular class will die in such has actually increased and not decreased. But, public perception continues its die hard ways until enough time of cementing class lines continue. By the time the general public comes to grip with the new reality, it will basically be too little too late.

(For more on this, click here. Notice the difference between what many people believe vs. reality, I think this proves my point)

As for why people are like that, I guess its human nature.

-NALs
 
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naturelover

Guest
you will find in the uk that a lot of dance clubs actually allow one known dealer in to keep others out and make sure their customers are getting the correct drug instead of one that might kill them.
I personally lived across the street from drug dealers in the uk... so the police are not all that good over there either....hyperdermics litter the back alleys
 

Janin

On Vacation....
Jul 31, 2007
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No Newspaper in LT

... But also, the only paper in LT would not report the incidences of crime since so many people were dependent on tourism and selling real estate.

Well, LT does not have a newspaper really, at least not one which claims to be that.
There is, however, a weekly publication called LT-7, which is an advertising and announcement 'paper' and lets people air their views in columns.

LT7.com

If there were a newspaper it would be very interesting to see how much or if at all its journalists would engange themselves in 'investigative journalism'.
Looking at the established newspapers in this country I do have my doubts...

BTW, the only 'investigative journalist' in the area that I know of, is Erica Guzm?n (who has a programme on the local radio station 95.5 MHz on Sunday mornings).
Recently her life was threatened by anonymous phone calls ...

Janin
 
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Jan

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Jan 3, 2002
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I believe crime is on the increase everywhere. Its the way it is now. Not just in DR but everywhere. Also I think the news focuses too much on the bad and not the good. The more crime they show the more ideas people get and the more the people not right in the head want to do one better than the last criminal.
 

PabloPaul

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Dec 21, 2006
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As for home invasions or robberies.... I wonder if it's safer in a crowded area or safer in a more remote area. On the one hand you have safety in numbers, but also greater numbers of people drawn to the prosperity of the area, some good, some bad. On the other hand you have the remoteness of your area keeping many potential threats away becasue they are just passing it by to go to the 'tourist areas', but have little safety in numbers and a longer drive to the hospital or whatever.
I know Encuentro has a major problem facing it for example, because on the one hand it's close to Cabarete, but on the other it's just far enough away and secluded enough to become dangerous to homeowner. Most of the people I know there have at one point or another been burglarized, whether that be a home invasion or just an unfortunate homecoming one day.
On the good side, there are new projects underway there all the time and some beautiful homes dot the gentle slope to the beach. It really is a beautiful spot.
Intelligent home design without looking fortress like is key for anyone considering living in the area. There are ways to keep your residence totally secure, yet attractive.
Limiting entry points to one or two and using the residence walls as a 'wall' aqround the property thus creating an inner courtyard are just two simple ideas.
After the area has become built up, security will return.
People need to create 'juntas' with their neighbours and ultimately the entire neighbourhood in order to create order, security, harmony, and a little infrastructure like streetlighting and sidewalks wouldn't hurt either.
How far are people willing to go?
It's your community, steps need to be taken to get it back.
Just my two centavos.

: p.
 

Janin

On Vacation....
Jul 31, 2007
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Unknown Crime

I believe crime is on the increase everywhere.... Not just in DR but everywhere.

News coverage in the DR is far from comprehensive.
Many crimes which do not occur in the bigger cities (SD, Stgo., SFdM, POP) are not reported.
So, whatever you don't read, did not happen, is not true.
I dare to say, that this could be said about DR statistics also.

Janin
 

Jan

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Jan 3, 2002
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I was robbed and I lived 1 street from the Malecon in Colonial Zone. I lived in front of a park that always had people in it and above a bar that was open all night long. Someone climbed my balcony and came in when I was sleeping. They only got stuff they could carry easily so I was lucky. I didn't have much of value either. But it seems that if someone wants something they will get it no matter where it is.
This happened about 4 years ago.
 
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naturelover

Guest
by the way the canary islands are much worse for crime...you can almost guarantee being burgled....so you have to use the safe boxes at exhorbitant fees....just thought id mention it...i had things pinched in the outback in australia and no bugger lives there ...perhaps its just luck
 

tht

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Oct 10, 2002
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I was of the impression the topic of discussion on this thread was crime rate in the DR not whether it's worse or better than anywhere else. How many of you guys saying the crime rate is not on the rise spend more than four weeks a year in the DR, on vacation??? Just curious because it's obvious what's been happening over the years. Compare the situation today to the situation 10 years ago, or 15 for that matter. That's all. Adios, hasta nunca.
 

Lambada

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Yes it is worse in DR than 10 or 20 years ago, it is worse than 6 years ago. Most of the increase has occurred in the last 4 to 5 years, activated by those now addicts who cannot support a habit via normal income and thus resort to crime. It is not about faulty perception, you'd have to be severely sensorially challenged to have missed it. And the type of crime is more violent because it stems either from next-fix desperation or from being high on crack in many cases & therefore not thinking straight.

I don't think crime is higher than it was two weeks ago but in certain parts of the country crime is significantly higher than it was ten years ago. I don’t just “believe” it, I know because I see it. Over and out.<o></o>

Well, tht, there are good weeks and bad weeks. ;) Quite apart from instances listed by CFA123 above, Europeans have had a rough few days. There was the German attacked in Jamao at weekend (not fatally but seriously)
Asaltan e hieren de gravedad a turista alemán en Moca
the Italian poisoned by his wife (fatally)
El Nacional, la voz de todos
and the Frenchman shot while resisting a robbery (fatally)
El Nacional, la voz de todos

These are instances which did make it to the papers. I don't think it is necessarily that expat residents think everything is dandy in their countries of origin. It is more that they live here and are thus not so interested in their countries of origin. Here is now home.