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Old 06-05-2011, 08:27 AM
 
22 posts, read 71,782 times
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I have been strongly considering moving to Puerto Rico and retiring there. There has been much discussion in this forum on the murder rate on the island. This thread is intended for comments on and discussion of the homicide rate (and police response, or lack thereof).

Rules: 1) No trolling 2) No personal attacks 3) If someone attacks you in this thread, avoid responding so that the 'background noise' is kept to a minimum.

The common response to queries regarding Puerto Rico's high murder rate is that the murders are primarily drug or domestic violence related. The purpose of this thread is to test those generalizations through extrinsic analysis.

Perhaps these discussions will help interested readers make a final determination on whether to make their home in Puerto Rico, and also allow readers who are considering Puerto Rico as a vacation destination to make informed decisions.

Last edited by chucknevers; 06-05-2011 at 09:22 AM.. Reason: update
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Old 06-05-2011, 08:37 AM
 
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Default Weekly Homicide Report (Puerto Rico) June 5, 2011

Victims:
************************************************** *
Manuel Ortiz Hernández, de 28 años, Altos de Cuba. Status: unsolved murder

Omar Borrali Colón, de 28 años, Barrior Obreros, San Juan. Status: unsolved murder
(Update: this individual was a well known soccer player and is considered a high-profile murder)

Francisco Serrano Colón, de 38 años, Juana Diaz. Status: unsolved murder.

Jorge Rivera Colón, age unknown, Yabucoa. Status: unsolved murder.
************************************************** **
Please comment on your knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident, any progress in identifying the perpetrator(s), and any updates on formal charges and criminal prosecution.

Last edited by chucknevers; 06-05-2011 at 09:10 AM.. Reason: Update
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Old 06-05-2011, 08:40 AM
 
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Default Weekly Homicide Report - Puerto Rico, June 5 cont'd

Victims:
************************************************** *
Alejandro Torres Torres, de 30 años, Ponce. Status: unsolved murder.
************************************************** **
Please comment on your knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident, any progress in identifying the perpetrator(s), and any updates on formal charges and criminal prosecution.
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Old 06-05-2011, 08:53 AM
 
22 posts, read 71,782 times
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Default Cont'd

Victims:
************************************************** *
Juan Rodríguez Santiago, de 72 años, Yubocoa. Status: Suspect apprehended

************************************************** **
Please comment on your knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident, any progress in identifying the perpetrator(s), and any updates on formal charges and criminal prosecution

Last edited by chucknevers; 06-05-2011 at 08:55 AM.. Reason: incorrect information
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Old 06-05-2011, 10:48 AM
 
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While I no longer have immediate plans to move back to Puerto Rico, the fact is that I did until just a few years ago. The murder rate is one reason why I no longer aspire to return, but it's a distant reason. Puerto Rico is far detached from what it was when I left in 1979. The murder rate - while astounding - appears to be mostly drug related. However, there are a few other issues which I find more unappealing than the drug related murders.

One issue which I find completely detestable is the prevailing entitlement mentality. I cannot understand how so many Puerto Ricans went from having a hardworking, hustling, get-the-job-done type of attitude, to one of slothfulness and dependency on gov't programs.

Before I get pelted with insults, allow me to specify that I am not suggesting that every Boricua on the island is "entitlement minded." Nonetheless, I know way too many people in PR whose sole goal is to be on some form of gov't sustenance program (e.g., SSI, Disability, Social Security, etc.) so they no longer have to get up and go to work like the rest of humanity. This is extremely short-sighted. A territorial dependency cannot be sustained this way indefinitely.

My other reason for not wanting to move back to PR is the enourmous yet barely mentioned waste management dilemma. Puerto Rico is possibly 20 years away from running out of landfills to bury its approximately 12,000 (twelve thousand) tons of garbage generated each and every day. And recycling has remained under 18% for years. For decades, politicians have either turned a blind eye or have not aggressively sought to get this monumental problem under control. Why? Because each and every politician who's dared to raise the issue has either lost or not gained political points and clout. The issue of waste management in PR generates no political points. In addition, those few politicians who have mentioned Waste-to-Energy have fallen into disfavor with their constituents. NOTE: This is not my opinion. This is a verifiable fact which has been ongoing since 1988, but has been more noticeable since the Rosselló administration.

To the aforementioned I add high population density, intense traffic congestion, and a high incidence of robbery.

I will continue visiting Puerto Rico once to twice per year as I currently do. Moving back is no longer an option.
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Old 06-05-2011, 10:49 AM
 
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As almost everybody says, the majority of the murders that are committed are drug related. It IS a huge problem, but being aware of your surroundings and company will keep you out of trouble most of the time. Usually the police response is fairly quick and appropriate to the crime (more response when the victims are innocent people). The problem lies, really, when processing the people apprehended. The judicial system in the Island leaves a lot to be desired, blame falling on both the prosecutors and the police officers involved in each case. Flimsy charges, badly processed crime scenes and evidence, and violation of rights have led to more free criminals than I care to remember.
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Old 06-06-2011, 01:11 AM
 
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This is so unnecessary. Anyone with half a brain can realize the majority of the homicides in Puerto Rico relate directly to illegal drug sales or disputes in high poverty areas like public housing. Puerto Rico has it's problems with crime but that is an issue anywhere with high economic disparity societies.
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Old 06-06-2011, 09:53 AM
 
Location: Boydton, VA
4,580 posts, read 6,293,638 times
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"the prevailing entitlement mentality"...

This is a little off topic, but perhaps it points to why the crime rate is so high....

From the May 12 edition of Caribbean Business: Article, "Permanent Drag on the Economy", by Jose Alvarado Vega and Alex Diaz.

Puerto Rico currently has a 40.6% LPR (Labor Participation Rate). That means there are 1,860,000 people of working age (16 or older) that are neither working or looking for work, vs 1,057,000 who are employed and another 214,000 who are unemployed but looking. Even the Dominican Republic has a 56% LPR. The US mainland and the majority of developed economies are at a 65% LPR.
The very low LPR creates;
* A huge base of consumers with a weak purchasing power, hurting business growth.
* A large group of people engaging in criminal activity, keeping quality of life low and making Puerto Rico less attractive as a place to visit or do business.
* A gigantic underground economy where business activity is, by nature, small, unproductive, tax evading and, in large measure drug-related and illegal.
* A depressed tax revenue, severely limiting the ability of the government to solve such social problems as health, education, and infrastructure which, in turn, would improve business and lead to growth.
* Hundreds of thousands of people from one generation to the next, who fail to reach their full potential and help the island grow in untold ways...lost innovators, investors, teachers, leaders, entrepreneurs and more.

So, 40% of the population are paying the taxes to support the entire infrastructure of the island, while 60% are loafing. It's no wonder the roads are in such bad shape, and the public schools get such a bad rap.

If I were to contemplate living on the island full time, it would not be in the San Juan metro area....there are much safer, more beautiful areas to live.

Regards
Gemstone1
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Old 06-06-2011, 10:07 AM
 
22 posts, read 71,782 times
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Default Comments

Good comments. The tracking in this thread is to allow for followup on convictions and insight into the murders. I don't have access to the criminal docket sheet to determine whether the individuals listed are themselves criminals. I also have limited access to follow-up tools (police blogs, local news outlets) for determination on the status of 'investigations' into the murders.

My goal isn't to suggest public policy or criticize the existing government of Puerto Rico - there seems to be an abundance of input and criticism. The goal is to test the hypothesis (for a month or so) that all of these murders are drug related - which by extension means that law-abiding citizens should not be concerned. There have been specific comments by other bloggers in this forum on individual murders, such as the two murders in Condado in April (May), the hairdresser and the dismembered gay kid.

Thusfar there has been no comment or insight into the individual murders listed above. Were each of these individuals involved in drug activities?
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Old 06-07-2011, 10:42 AM
 
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Chuck, pardon me for having veered off the subject. I was trying to make the point that there are other factors, possibly greater than the murder rate, which should be weighed by anyone considering moving to Puerto Rico.

Gemstone, thank you immensely for posting the title to the article. I'm still reading it, and am baffled by what I've read so far. Hope we can refer to this topic in a new thread.
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