Is
There Really More Crime in Other
Countries or Less?
This
was our challenge when we put together this
article for you. Which is to say, many
people have been dissuaded from visiting or
investigating some places simply because they
had heard some rumors regarding crime
issues. Are the rumors true, or do the
factual statistics tell another story?
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We have received quite a few letters recently from people
that have said, John - we are interested in relocating to
XYZ country, but are concerned about the crime rumors we
have heard. My reply is going to be - What are the
rumors you have heard and from whom did you hear it?
In addition, is it true that there is more crime in the
country you wish to relocate to, less crime or about the
same (in comparison to where you are at the moment)?
Equally important, I believe, are some of cultural
differences and reasons why the crime figures might be
different somewhere else as well, which more importantly
tells you something about the society (that perhaps you are
thinking about relocating to).
.
People have made comments to me that they have heard
negative things specifically about the Dominican Republic,
Belize, Argentina and a number of other places in terms of
crime, the economy, levels of unemployment and so on.
However, I live in the Dominican Republic and have never,
ever seen the kinds of things supposedly reported in some of
these rumors, but I did witness a deadly assault on a New
York City subway once, a very long time ago. In fact,
I grew up in New York City at a time when the crime issue
was at its worst, and in comparison to then and now, Santo
Domingo as a major city still seems to be safer to me than
New York was or maybe even is today. In addition, I
would honestly have to say the same thing about Buenos
Aires, Panama City, Santiago (Chile) and a host of other
cities I have visited as well. Which is to say, if you
think there is NO crime anywhere there are people, and
especially a metropolitan area, then you are kidding
yourself. On the other hand, the question is - are
crime issues any worse or less in the place you might be
considering. Also, are the people telling you things
in fact someone in the know, or are these people simply
parroting rumors they have heard in a bathroom stall or a
pub?
.
If you look at the statistics from Nationmaster.com (see link below) and you
especially look at per capita crimes, we find out some very
interesting statistics. However, keep in mind it is often
clearer to look at the total number of crimes per thousand
(per capita) as a much better indicator, rather than total
number of reported crimes. Obvious a country with a
large population will have larger numbers of crimes reported
as a function of the higher population, but the real key is
relative criminal activity as a percentage:
According to what these statistics indicate, South Africa
tops the list for Rapes World-Wide, is also number two in
terms of Murders and is in the top ten for Burglaries as
well. However, the United States also in the top ten
for Rapes World-Wide (number nine on the list) and overall
crime (number eight) as well. The most interesting
thing about these statistics however involve so-called
wealthier nations that one might assume would have lower
crime rates in comparison to so-called poorer or less
developed countries. So, the complaint or comments
from some people regarding certain developing markets is -
Oh, there are very many poor people there. Maybe, but
then does that mean because a large number of people are
less well off than you - that they are necessarily crooks or
more likely to commit criminal acts? According to the
statistics on crime in comparison to the supposedly more
wealthy (and some might say more civilized) nations, the
answer is a resounding NO.
.
For example, Australia tops the list with the highest ratio
of burglaries worldwide and is number three in terms of the
number of rapes per capita (what the heck is wrong with
those Aussies?). In addition, in terms of some other
top ten countries on the list for rapes, burglaries and
total overall crime, we see Canada, The United Kingdom,
Denmark, Finland, Chile, New Zealand and the Netherlands as
well (we have already mentioned the United State
previously). In fact, there are far more wealthy
nations on some of these top ten lists than so-called poorer
countries - so, what does that tell you? Before you
counter with the argument that these countries keep better
statistics and reporting of such things, also keep in mind
that smaller nations such as Jamaica, Chile, Latvia, Poland
and so on ARE included. Can it be true that the better
off a country is economically; the more likely citizens are
to commit crimes? Does economic success breed
contempt?
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Of the poorer or economically less well off nations, we are
surprised to see the tiny English Speaking former British
colony of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican
Republic, which is a completely different Spanish speaking
country) coming in at number two on the list in terms of
burglaries per capita (remember that Australia is number one
in that category), and tiny laid back English Speaking
Dominica also NUMBER ONE is terms of overall TOTAL
crime. Some people would like to make the argument
that a poorer nation and or one without the financial
resources for law enforcement will have a higher crime rate,
but with the exception of tiny Dominica, this argument just
does not hold up. In fact, many of the countries
within the top 10 or 20 on these high crime list statistics
are also some of the very same countries with some of the
highest taxation rates in the world as well - so, where is
all this money going to? It must not be going into
crime fighting, or if it is, the people in these countries
must be so bad that no amount of money can help. You
know, I have often heard American news journalists and
others state that the United States is a nation of laws -
but too bad then it would seem that not too many people are
obeying them. Which brings us to another point about
all this.
.
Generally speaking, government cannot regulate the morality
or ethics of the local population. In the United
States for example, we know that in many places (with the
exception of Nevada) prostitution is illegal, yet that has
not stopped prostitution. The United States has some
very strict handgun regulations, yet the crooks always seem
to find a way to get their hands on the guns. The only
thing some of these more restrictive gun ownership laws do
is make it even more difficult for the average citizen to
level the playing field, by getting a gun too. But let
us forget about some of these issues for a moment. Let
us instead talk about some very basic things, such as
robbery, petty theft and so on because this really is what
most people are concerned about when considering relocating
to another country (and the related rumors that tourists and
foreigners are supposedly being robbed left and right all
day long in other countries).
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If we think about nations and cities, with the wealth,
sophistication and police presence to in theory offer up a
safer environment and much lower rates of petty crime, such
as London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, Tokyo, etc,
- is it true there is no chance of getting your pockets
picked or becoming a victim of robbery at all in these
places? One might argue that while you can just as
easily be robbed or pick pocketed on the Underground in
London as you could say in Belize City or Panama or Santo
Domingo - the selling point of the argument is going to be
that this is less
likely in London than these other places. But is this
really true? Better stated, in a country with more
police and more sophistication, such as the United States
(which prides itself on being a nation of laws) is it really
true that there are more criminals elsewhere, less or about
the same? Well, if you consider the fact that the
United States has more of its own citizens in jail in
comparison to almost every other nation on earth, it makes
you wonder. Is it the case that the police in the US
are simply better at catching crooks and locking them up -
or are there really more crooks per capita inside the US?
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The general claim about crime is that criminal activity
always increases when the economy turns for the worse and
when unemployment is highest. Statistically there is
of course come correlation to support this. However,
on the other hand, getting back to issue of culture and
morals of a particular country, the unemployment rates for
Argentina, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic also have been
reported to be as high as 25 percent in very recent years
(2003 -2004). This is very interesting because this
was the unemployment rate of the United States during the
so-called Great Depression of the 1930s. So, we have
an unemployment statistic TODAY that mimics the worse case
ever regarding unemployment in the United States, yet IS there a tremendous emotional and
social break down of society in these countries? If
not, then why is this not the case? If unemployment
numbers ever hit 25 percent in the US or Europe, would the
result in terms of society and how people reacted to it be
the same, or not? I think this is a very important
issue to think about, because again, just because one
country has a larger poor population than another, or even
have an economic situation worse off than other, this does
not mean that the level of crime is necessarily
greater. Also, it could be the case that two nations
have the same economic scenario, yet very different social
outcomes.
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In the US at the moment, the new trend lately has been for
upper middle class gated communities. Why do many
people in the US feel they need to live inside a guarded
gated residential community today, whereas this was not the
case fifty years ago? What has changed, and with all
the recent economic problems in other countries - why is it
that the reaction is seemingly different elsewhere? In
addition, speaking of the poorer group of nations - why is
it that two countries with perhaps similar divisions of the
population in terms of percentage of wealthy and percentage
of poor, and somewhat similar economic situations have very
different crime statistics also? Could it be the
difference is culture and composure rather that strictly
economics? Is the driving force behind the motivations
of a society (both good and bad) always about money?
Could it really be true that people in some nations are
actually more moral than in others?
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I will offer some of my own insight and opinion in terms of
some of the third world or emerging market countries on this
list. In the case of South Africa, I tend to think the
local populace is frustrated. The vast majority of
people in that country thought that changing the skin color
of those in government were the answer to their
prayers. Which is to say, the common thinking was (and
correct in some respects) that the white minority of the
country that controlled the government and most of the
business enterprises was holding back the rest from
obtaining upward mobility, politically and
economically. So, Nelson Mandela and related
affiliated political parties were swept into power.
But has that alone been enough to change the plight and
status of the average citizen? What were the vast
majority of people thinking - That a simple change in the
name on the door of the Presidents office would offer up
miracles? Were they hoping or looking for a new kind
of social welfare state whereby the new government would
confiscate all the wealth in the country and redistribute to
everyone for free? It can be hard to analyze, but
certainly change and effort comes from within. A
government can of course try and make the playing field more
fair and level, legally and economically. However, no
government can force people to do what they themselves
should be doing if they (the people) want to change their
status or situation. Meaning, the government can
create a more positive or fairer environment, but at the
same time the government cannot FORCE people to wake up,
exert some effort and take advantage of it. This is
what I think has happened in South Africa, and this is why
the crime rate, especially violent crime has gone to the
moon in terms of the crime rate. Which is to better
explain, the population psychologically does not want to
recognize this, nor can they bring themselves to blame the
government they forced so hard to bring into power either
(nor can they really in all fairness). Instead, these
frustrations and taken out in other ways, and perhaps why
violent crimes such as rape especially is so high.
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In regards to Columbia, a country mentioned high on the list
in terms of murders, for sure the high level of drug related
violence and scuffles with rebel groups, such as FARC, have
pushed these numbers up. Is it really the case that
average Columbians though have a higher propensity than the
people of Chile, for example, to kill each other? Or
is it true that there might be some other dynamics at work
in the statistics?
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The true test of any country and of any society is NOT what
people do or how they behave when there is a policeman on
every corner, but rather what they do when there is
not. In terms of these statistics, it seems very odd
to find out some of the wealthiest
nations, and those with extensive social welfare
programs score highest
on the list for burglaries, murders and so on. It is
also interesting that many of the countries that do have
perhaps higher rates of poverty or have severe economic
problems are NOT on the higher end of the lists as
well. People often ask me if I feel comfortable living
in the Dominican Republic. Why not? I have had a
few clients after taking a tour around the country make some
very intriguing comments to me afterwards. They have
said to me: You know, I made a very interesting observation
about this country. What was that I asked? Well,
there are many poor people in the Dominican Republic, but
they are clean, well presented, with ironed shirts on,
etc. What does that tell you I asked? Well,
there are many poor people, but they are not unruly or
unsocial in any way. Plus, they take pride in
themselves regardless of their financial situation.
So, if there is one country with a large number of poor
people that do not create havoc and mayhem (do not rob and
steal), what is it about the society that holds them
together? Is the glue of the society something other
than money - and whether they have money or not, does this
social binding things on an even keel regardless of economic
differences? Is the glue that binds modern, wealthier
industrialized countries money, and money alone - and does
this explain why all hell could break loose when many people
no longer have any?
.
When I was planning a trip to Argentina in 2003, I was
warned by some people not to go. They told me, the
economic crisis there is terrible and crime has gone through
the roof, etc., etc. Not only that, my poor wife was
turned into a nervous wreck before-hand from people that
told her the Argentines are racist and not very friendly to
someone who is not white (my wife is dark skinned).
Needless to say, all of that was baloney. I found the
Argentines to be wonderful people. My wife forgot her
handbag in a Buenos Aires taxi (which is very much not like
her at all) and two hours later, the taxi driver came back
with not one cent or anything else missing (just try that in
New York or London, I dare you). More often than not,
people stopped me on the street and asked if I needed any
help (as I had my trusty tourist map butted up against a
tree in the park announcing to all my status as a tourist of
course). Then, when they found out we were from the
Dominican Republic, of course the conversation turned even
friendlier. As for the racism comment, well, let me
just say my wife and her two teenage nieces who traveled
with us got more whistles than Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lopez
or Haille Berry combined. At one point walking through
one of the public parks, a fellow selling ice cream from a
cart on the sidewalk yelled out - How man, its not fair, you
got three, give me one. Same comment came from a
security guard outside a bank in the downtown area. I
had to laugh and besides, I felt a bit cheated as no one was
whistling at me (oh well).
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In any event, the point is this. I continue to be
impressed to some extent with the Dominican people, the Thai
who have gone through a gut wrenching economic adjustment in
recent years and have keep their personal decorum in tact,
plus the Argentine people as well (especially with a sever
economic crisis in the recent past and 25-percent
unemployment). All these countries mentioned had their
ups and downs when it comes to the economy or levels of
unemployment, yet things did not get out of hand
socially. Has crime gone up in some cases, when the
economy has taken a turn for the worse? Sure to some
extent, or at least the statistics say so, but even so, how
bad is it really in comparison to where you are living right
now? Is it enough to keep you from traveling or
relocating there? Is it any worse than anyplace else,
or maybe even not as bad? I would say do not let
ridiculous rumors or tall tales stop you from investigating
things for yourself. I would also say take some things
with a grain of salt in terms of what you hear on the news
or from your neighbor that never went anywhere as
well. Try to keep an open mind about what is simply
myth or opinion versus the fact or reality. The
numbers and statistics do not lie. Countries with
higher levels of poor people or even unemployment do not
necessarily mean a higher level of crime or criminals for
that matter - and this is a very important indicator about
the local society you are planning to move into as well (if
you might be investigating a place for retirement or
relocation). Likewise, what do these statistics really
tell us about the social fabric of the wealthier
industrialized nations should trouble come calling versus
how people in so-called poorer nations have behaved?
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I wonder what would happen in Los Angeles, New York, Miami,
Paris, and other so-called modern and wealthier places if
the unemployment rates ever hit 25 percent? I wonder
how people in Chicago would react if the electricity went
out in some neighborhoods for 24 hours as could happen and
does happen in the so-called third world cities? In
the backwards, poor, third world countries, what have the
people done (and what do they do now) when faced with some
of these problems. Do they riot and go off on crime
sprees because the lights go out, or do they calmly light
some candles and chat with neighbors instead? Where
would you rather be, if some of these problems cropped
up? Where you are at the moment, or someplace
else? When investigating crime and other related
social issues as it might pertain to a new country of
residence for yourself, surely this these and other
questions are something to think about. In addition,
do not let negative comments and rumors from the uneducated
deter you either (better yet, show them the statistics
although these folks will not want to believe it even if you
do). Go see for yourself, and find out if what you
heard is just so much sour grapes. Remember, misery
loves company and no one wants to believe you can be happier
elsewhere. No one wants to see you with a success
story elsewhere either. In addition, in my case, had I
listened to all the people that attempted to discourage me,
I would have gone no where (and would have missed out on
quite a bit as a result).
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