How Bad is Crime in Buenos Aires?
How bad is crime in Buenos Aires? The question is more difficult to answer than you might think.
On one hand, many people who have visited Buenos Aires will say things like “I walked everywhere in Buenos Aires at all hours of the day and night and never had a problem or felt unsafe. I saw women pushing their strollers at midnight for gosh sakes. It’s safe.”
On the other hand, you will hear people who have been touched by crime say things like “the crime here is horrible, especially against tourists. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that goes unreported.” And you can certainly read stories in the newspapers about robberies, murders and all manner of terrible crimes taking place with alarming frequency.
So who do we believe?
We could turn to official statistics and try to compare crime rates in Buenos Aires with that of other cities, but that won’t really answer our question. First of all, official statistics are probably not accurate. The police are not sufficiently organized to provide accurate statistics. Plus the government is notorious for reporting inaccuracies. For example, last year the government reported the official inflation rate at 8% when any objective measure will show that it was closer to 25%.
Another reason crimes rates aren’t that relevant is that most crime happens in parts of the city where tourists never go, in impoverished areas nothing like Palermo or Recoleta or other tourist zones.
So that leaves us with anecdotal information. Let me pass along a few personal stories and observations that I hope may answer the question about how bad crime is in Buenos Aires, in particular as it relates to tourists. I’m not out to scare anyone. I just want to try to answer the question posed in the title of this blog entry.
First of all, I wouldn’t even think about wearing an expensive watch in Buenos Aires. I know it would set me up as a target for robbery in any neighborhood. By comparison, I would have no hesitation wearing that same watch in any city in Canada or the United States. Does that mean that Buenos Aires is more dangerous than Canada or the US? In this regard, I would say yes. Money is tight and unemployment is high. That breeds desperation and crime.
Here’s another thing I wouldn’t do in Buenos Aires. I certainly wouldn’t go to a bank, withdraw a large sum of cash (thousands of dollars), then catch a taxi in front of the bank. I’ve read too many news stories of people being robbed or killed this way. Again, I wouldn’t have the same fear in New York or London or Tokyo. It’s different here.
Perhaps my cautious nature is paying off. I’ve spent a lot of time in Buenos Aires over the past few years and I’ve never had a problem. But I’m tall, male and speak Spanish. And I do think this city is more dangerous for women than men.
For example, last September Clarín (a local newspaper) reported on a taxi driver who would pick up lone female tourists outside a Palermo nightclub late at night and sexually assault them. The newspaper indicated that at least eight women were attacked before police captured the man.
Last month, in December, the newspaper also reported on not one but two, separate serial rapists committing a string of attacks on women in Recoleta. The attacks occurred in the daytime, even on a Sunday afternoon. The rapist would follow a woman into a building, pretending he lived there or was visiting a friend.
So women do need to take special precautions. But, sadly, isn’t this true in all big cities?
I do feel the level of crime in Buenos Aires is rising. A female Argentine friend of mine recently told me “this year for the first time I felt unsafe in my city. My grandmother has been robbed twice. It’s getting bad.”
But we need to put all the crime horror stories in perspective. Buenos Aires is a huge city of some 13 million people. Of course awful crimes are going to happen. They happen here but they also happen in Toronto, Munich, Sydney and Paris — in all big cities, everywhere.
To sum up, I believe the question “how bad is crime in Buenos Aires” is best answered by a quote I read in a report prepared by the US Overseas Security Advisory Council:
“Crime is a serious problem in Argentina that can be managed with common sense precautions.”
I encourage you to read the report which includes advice on how to avoid becoming a victim.
January 17th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Portenos live in fear. All one has to do is look, realy take a look, at their faces as you walk around. Faces of fear, pananoia, suspicion, wondering WHEN will they all end. Women gripping their handbags in ALL parts of town, especially the downtown business district, gripping their bags as a mother would hold on to her child in a shipwreck. For all the crime back in the USA, people seem far more cheerful, relaxed, confident, and their faces show it.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:38 am
BA is like a every big city, with some places that I do not advice you to get in..
Just keep a low profile and not to appear to be a trurist, this means basically, (i) no wearing big a hat (ii) no camera over your neck and (iii) no expensive watch. get to the street with with some pesos and change.
Leave the passport in the hotel/apartment. If you will need to take a cab, ask for a radio-taxi if possible.- Following this tips you will avoid some risky situations.- Enjoy the city!
February 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I spent a lot of time in Bs As and I have to say I was robbed once but that was me being very silly and not being vigilant. It was the only time I was not but it was not as if I was constantly worried and minful of things but basic common sense went a long way. Compared to other cities in the region and internationally crime is a concern but not as bad as other cities.
March 6th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Hi. As someone who lives in buenos aires and works in the business centre, I can tell you that in this particular place most of the crime is of “opportunist” type. That is, in this area it will be extremely rare to be assaulted and gun pointed at, but what will be frequent is for someone trying to grab a woman’s purse or other easy to spot and pick objects.
That is, you mostly don’t have to fear for your life in this part of the city (which is where many hotels are and where I see most of the tourists every day), but you do have to be careful with your possessions, as a distraction can mean its loss.
Oh, and another one for males: DO NOT pay attention to those girls on the streets that want you to lure you inside some bar announcing the presence of beautiful girls and the likes. There are no sexual services being given there, and all they are going to do is try to bill you a lot of money for just entering the place (I’ve seen these girls specially seeking tourists, though many naive porteños will fall for it, too)
As for girls, specially european and american ones… Ladies, I must tell you that you are very easily spotted as tourists. Try to dress more like our Argentinian females and a bit less casual because, thanks for your usually more than average height and distinctive features which are not too frequent here, you can be easily spotted as a tourist, which is no good for you in this city.
As for shopping here, well, prices are not so good but I could tell you at least of some places where the dollars or euros are not taken at a ridiculously low exchange rate. (For example, in “galerías pacífico” there are many shops that take foreign money at better than market exchange rates, though the prices there are on the higher end)
April 13th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
the answer is that b.a. is not more dangerous than any other large city with 10 million plus people. lived in b.a. for three years (all over cap. fed.), with marginal spanish skills, but took cabs on street level at all hours and other than avoiding villas and outer areas, often in company of an american woman (una rubia), never had a problem. never.
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I tour alone the streets of BA and had no problem. Of course exercise common sense, like everywhere else. Also girls, avoid eye contact, when its not necessary, with males on the streets.
September 24th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I would agree with all of the comments made on crime in B.A.
I heve been there 15 times in 7 years and only had one problem ( I was not being vigilant enough and the guy stole my bag with Camera /I.Pod / keys from behind my seat and between my feet ).
I went to the police station and reported it and was fortunate enough to get a Policeman who spoke English.
On return to U.K. I got 120 pounds from Insurance Company - which was great because I was expecting zero return due to excess on policy.
I’m sure umpteen people have stories about crime in major cities and , of course, everyone will have had a different experience e.g. despite being robbed in B.A. I continue to feel very safe there Rio, however, is a different animal - although I wasn’t robbed at no time in 4 days ( day or night) did I feel safe there.
It is usually a question of common sense rules 1
January 7th, 2010 at 1:52 am
I just came across this post, and I think the comments are all pretty accurate. I have spent a considerable amount of time in Bs. As. During my most recent stay, I had to venture into some of the less appealing neighborhoods and suburbs to conduct interviews. I used various means of transportation to get to and from these places: subway, train, bus, hired ride, taxi, walking, etc. I never had a problem, but I did feel a bit uncomfortable in a few of the lower income neighborhoods during the day. The poverty is noticeable outside of the middle and upper middle class neighborhoods of Bs. As. (e.g. Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano, Caballito). It is really quite sad. Areas like Recoleta can trick foreigners into thinking that Argentina is a fully developed country. If you are just going for a short vacation, then simply avoid the non-tourist areas. Most portenos that I know have been robbed at some point in their lives, whether it was a purse, wallet, or cell phone. Usually, it was just petty theft. This can often be avoided by using vigilance and common sense. During my last stay, quite a few people also mentioned that counterfeit money is becoming a problem, especially 100 peso bills. Taxi drivers have a reputation for scamming people with these bills; I never had a problem with any taxi drivers in Bs. As. Although I did notice on one occasion that a non- “Radio Taxi” charged a higher fare. Bs. As. is an amazing place, and well worth visiting!