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I have been reading threads on PR forum for a few weeks and I keep hearing about the crime rate. I visited San Juan a couple of weeks ago and it didn't seem to be as bad as this forum makes it. However, I don't know how it truly is, because I was just a visitor that has not experience the daily life. Comparing the city to my hometown Detroit, San Juan and surrounding areas had graffiti and etc that made it look unpleasant, but I didn't experience any real threats, also the people seemed to be very pleasant and friendly. That was different for me, because the majority of people in the Midwest US are rude. My wife and I went to a festival that was at night and we felt safe unlike with my hometown. I looked at the crime rate and PR and Detroit are the same if you adjust population and size. Detroit is about half the homicide rate as PR and it has half of the population of PR. I want to ask did I not feel treated, because crimes may be segregated in certain areas of PR? When my wife and I was in PR I told her I would rather live in PR than Detroit (but don’t get me wrong I have love for Detroit, but one could understand!)
Last edited by WannaMove123; 08-02-2010 at 02:41 PM..
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I have been reading threads on PR forum for a few weeks and I keep hearing about the crime rate. I visited San Juan a couple of weeks ago and it didn't seem to be as bad as this forum makes it. However, I don't know how it truly is, because I was just a visitor that has not experience the daily life. Comparing the city to my hometown Detroit, San Juan and surrounding areas had graffiti and etc that made it look unpleasant, but I didn't experience any real threats, also the people seemed to be very pleasant and friendly. That was different for me, because the majority of people in the Midwest US are rude. My wife and I went to a festival that was at night and we felt safe unlike with my hometown. I looked at the crime rate and PR and Detroit are the same if you adjust population and size. Detroit is about half the homicide rate as PR and it has half of the population of PR. I want to ask did I not feel treated, because crimes may be segregated in certain areas of PR? When my wife and I was in PR I told her I would rather live in PR than Detroit (but don’t get me wrong I have love for Detroit, but one could understand!)
My experience with Puerto Rico's crime are similar to yours. I've visited the island once or twice each year since 1998. Matter of fact, going back for the second time a few weeks from now. Thank God, I've never been a victim of a crime. But that also has to do with where one visits.
My friends who live on the island have a different experience precisely because they are exposed to day-to-day life. A few have been victims of robberies. And that's about it for most of them. The more serious crimes seem to occur to those involved with drugs.
Actually, most of the crime is concentrated around the projects, and even then most of it is concentrated around drug crimes. I could say that a high percentage of murders are drug related.
So if you avoid the projects and areas close by, you should actually be fine. The worst thing you should encounter is robbery, either armed or not. I haven't been robbed ever (knocks on wood), but I don't go out much, never liked out anyways, way too hot for me.
Here is the catch. Sometimes, drug lords want to murder somebody. When they find that somebody, if you happen to be close by, you might get shot, because they usually spray and pray. This can be either during day or night and at any place. This is why people tend to say that crime is such a problem in PR, you never know when the guy by your side might get shot because he is involved in drugs.
Another problem that occurs is that two guys start to argue about whatever, including some bad look one gave to the other. Sometimes this ends with a shoot out, like the wild west. This is not as usual as drug crimes, but it happens; usually at discos and such. Another place you will never see me at.
My advice, stick to the tourist areas and you should be fine.
Lived in PR 2 years and never had any problem with crime at all. I did not stick to tourist areas nor did I visit drug areas! Went everywhere else though lol
Actually, most of the crime is concentrated around the projects, and even then most of it is concentrated around drug crimes. I could say that a high percentage of murders are drug related.
So if you avoid the projects and areas close by, you should actually be fine. The worst thing you should encounter is robbery, either armed or not. I haven't been robbed ever (knocks on wood), but I don't go out much, never liked out anyways, way too hot for me.
Here is the catch. Sometimes, drug lords want to murder somebody. When they find that somebody, if you happen to be close by, you might get shot, because they usually spray and pray. This can be either during day or night and at any place. This is why people tend to say that crime is such a problem in PR, you never know when the guy by your side might get shot because he is involved in drugs.
Another problem that occurs is that two guys start to argue about whatever, including some bad look one gave to the other. Sometimes this ends with a shoot out, like the wild west. This is not as usual as drug crimes, but it happens; usually at discos and such. Another place you will never see me at.
My advice, stick to the tourist areas and you should be fine.
Efrenb5, up front, I would like to clarify I agree with what you said 100%. Just wanted to add
that crime can happen anywhere. I was in the heart of Condado, in front of the La Concha, hanging with my friends, you know chilling at the bars and whatnot, and i was 100 ft from a guy who walked out of a bar and shot a guy in a motorcycle in front of everyone in the middle of traffic.
It's pretty tough to see this, and it's probably the most I've seen of crime in PR, because as it should be noted, crime in PR is not something one person will experience on a daily basis, unless you are involved in the crime.
Efrenb5, up front, I would like to clarify I agree with what you said 100%. Just wanted to add that crime can happen anywhere. I was in the heart of Condado, in front of the La Concha, hanging with my friends, you know chilling at the bars and whatnot, and i was 100 ft from a guy who walked out of a bar and shot a guy in a motorcycle in front of everyone in the middle of traffic.
I have seen crime in my life including shootings, but I have never seen a person in a town equivalent to Condado shot someone in middle of traffic. Condado has alot of police, because of the bars, casinos, and tourist. What happened afterward? Did the person ever get caught, police came, etc?
The guy took off on a motorcycle (not sure if he took it from the other guy) and was chased down by helicopters. The area was quickly swarmed by National Guard troops (because Fortuño thinks it's for the best, he recently enlisted the help of the National Guard) and not much happened until the guy who was fleeing tried to cross from Condado to Old San Juan swimming. He was caught on the other side.
And just to cool any concerns, this is the worst I've ever seen or heard it get in Condado. Condado is really exclusive place to live, it's just that being a sort of downtown waterfront and being host to many cultural events, things like this may happen. I've been to Condado a zillion times, first time it happened.
Efrenb5, up front, I would like to clarify I agree with what you said 100%. Just wanted to add
that crime can happen anywhere. I was in the heart of Condado, in front of the La Concha, hanging with my friends, you know chilling at the bars and whatnot, and i was 100 ft from a guy who walked out of a bar and shot a guy in a motorcycle in front of everyone in the middle of traffic.
It's pretty tough to see this, and it's probably the most I've seen of crime in PR, because as it should be noted, crime in PR is not something one person will experience on a daily basis, unless you are involved in the crime.
The problem with comparing Detroit to PR is that Detroit is a city, while PR is like its own state.
PR will see crime everyday, because there may be a crime in Mayagüez today, and another one in San Juan tomorrow.
Exactly what I said. When you least expect it, BAM! Someone gets shot in the middle of the street. Some years ago there was a shooting at the food court in the busiest mall in PR.
However, let me be clear about this, like davsot says, this kind of behavior is VERY rare. If you don't go out much you will unlikely see something like this. As I said, I've never been a victim thank God and have yet to see something criminal yet, and I've been living in PR all my 31 years by the way.
My brother is a cop and he tells me that most of the things he deals with involve homeless people. Every other day he's involved chasing some guy because of drug crime. So this strengthen my point, stay out of drugs and drug places and you should be fine.
Maybe instead of saying "crime is bad in PR", I would say "drug related crimes are bad in PR".
@davsot, I couldn't help but to laugh when you said the guy actually tried to scape by swimming.
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