Comments on: How Bad is Crime in Buenos Aires?

By: Roy

Roy — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:05:38 +0000

I am a married to an Argentinean woman and lived in BA for 2 years its a great place and the everyday Argentineans are great but its not dangerouse say like London where I hail from you could get conned of mugged in London. South America is a different propersition I was speaking with 5 or 6 woman all of whom had been sexually assaulted or raped. There are guns everywhere we had a big dog and a smith & wesson at home. The police are useless or corrupt detection rates are LOW a policeman get shot in England is big news in BA its common. Having said all this its a woderfull country full of beautifull places great food good weather. The problem is poverty and desperation if you are not carefull you will get robbed my wife struggles in the UK but loves living without fear and we lived in an ok barrio oh and dont believe anything the govt says.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:23:10 +0000

I like how a lot of people are saying things like “It’s safe! I had problems and got robbed, but it was my fault!!”

No. That’s exactly the point — it’s *not* safe, to the degree where you have to constantly watch your ass. It’s not “your fault” if someone robs you, ever. Thievery is never acceptable — but, in a city that’s this dangerous, yes, we have to make sure we’re vigilant, and take more precautions than would be needed in another less dangerous place.

I love Buenos Aires — I call it “the perfect cross between sophistication and chaos”. I lived there for a few months. If you’re thinking of visiting, YOU SHOULD! It’s a wonderful city. The vibe is awesome. But don’t kid yourself: it’s dangerous. Crime is common. Sure, some people will have no problems; it’s a numbers game. But *most* people I know that live (or lived) there longer than just a small visit, have been robbed *at least* once. In New York/Berlin/Tokyo/etc, you hear of robberies occasionally, but it’s NOT NEARLY as regular an occurrence as it is in BsAs. (And many other large Latin American cities are even more dangerous — don’t let it stop you from visiting, but pay attention.)

Latin American big cities are *not* “just like any other big city”. You can manage the danger, but you have to watch your ass. Stay out of areas you shouldn’t be in. Don’t carry things you don’t want to lose. Pay attention to your surroundings. Make local friends, and follow their lead — they know what not to do. Etc.

By: Javier

Javier — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:07:56 +0000

I just visited BA for a week back in March. We went there to a training course for a week starting Monday, so we got in on Sunday afternoon, left our luggage at the hotel in Recoleta and immediately walked to Calle Corrientes to check if we could still get tickets for the Ian Anderson concert at the Grand Rex Theater. Afterwards, we walked Calle Florida all the way to Galerias Pacifico, where we started walking around checking out the shops. Out of the blue, a guy with a “so called” Federal Police ID approaches us and tells us that he had spoken to us last weekend at this same place, and that he had requested us to never return to Galerias Pacifico again. At first we thought he was looking for money, and so I approached the security officer at the door and asked for help, but the security officer just looked at me and did nothing. The guy continued shouting at us and demanded that we showed him our IDs. One of my friends gave him his ID and finally we all had to give him our IDs. We explained that we had just arrived in BA some hours ago, but the guy did not listen and continued his interrogation. We told him that we were going to a training course and that we were staying at a hotel in Recoleta, but he kept on shouting very aggressively and accusing us of lying. We kept on explaining him again and again that we had just arrived in the city some hours ago, until he “finally” looked at us, apologized and told us that had made a mistake. He then returned our IDs back and went his way.
To this day I don’t know what the guy wanted, if he was a federal police officer as he claimed, or if he was a common thief that did not get his way because we got lucky. However, I am inclined to think that he really was a federal police officer who was trying to take advantage of three foreigners. So, be aware that these situations are common ground in BA, that these people are looking out for foreigners to take advantage of, and that some police officers are corrupt and trying to make and easy buck.

By: Carlo Sarci

Carlo Sarci — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:04:34 +0000

I have been to Mexico City many times, but I felt safe.

Buenos Aires is hell. Porteños live in constant fear.

My friend has been held up at gunpoint 7 times in the last couple of years. During the day, at night, on a bus, at a store, on the train, on the subway and even at work.

If you dare show a cell phone in the street, expect a gun be placed to your head.

These animals are so out of control, that if you have nothing to give them, they will shoot you.

Rape is epidemic.

People go ringing doorbells during the day and night. If some unwise tenant / resident opens the door, he/she can expect the entire place to be robbed at gunpoint, apartment by apartment.

It does not matter if it is the ritzy places downtown or the suburbs like Lomas (where she lives). Fear rules. Cops get killed.

Corruption at levels rules this city. I have never seen anything like it and I have been all over the world.

Stay away!

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:25:00 +0000

Is it realy That bad in BA? =( I beleive it’s just the same way in any big city unfortunately. My friend was robbed (wallet stolen) in Paris , France, a few years ago (on a subway). Heard of lots of crime in Europe in big cities. Never had any problems like that in US (heard of some crime in bad poor areas or big cities). Just need to be careful and everything will be all right.

By: Marija

Marija — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:18:06 +0000

Hi all,

After reading all comments I really dont know what to think. I am going to BA in a month to learn Spanish all by myself from eastern Europe (I know the basics of the language). My question is how can I blend in and look like a local. I am not that tall or white after a few days on the sun I will become Latina. What kind of clothes do women wear in summer? I am not afraid of robbery because I have been to a lot of places and I am never reckles, but after reading this I see there is a lt of rapes? Taxi drivers? I will probably be taking metro all the time

By: nicasio

nicasio — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 21:33:18 +0000

i travel to Argentine for 3 month is really one of the best Places vacation,people culture,really Amazing !! bs as yes some areas is bad,i never have any problem ,..
i travel same year to Napoli, italy and i get robbed one time gun point and one time with a knife total 2 times in two weeks I’m so mad my passport and many more,,… so no worries is bad every big city just Be careful !

By: Ty

Ty — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:34:03 +0000

I’ve been living and studying in Buenos Aires for about 2 months now. I’ve almost been robbed once (he pulled out a knife, my friend pushed him and we ran in opposite directions), but that was at 4 in the morning and we were walking under a bridge in a bad area. From almost 100 feet away I could see the guy following our moves, but we kept walking. To be honest, the only time you ever get robbed here is if you’re being careless or if you don’t know anything about this city. If you read up on Buenos Aires, or have any friends here, you should be fine. To be honest, at times I have felt very unsafe in this city… but only at odd hours in areas where no one is out except for the criminals. Avoid that. Take taxis and DO NOT make that walk without being in a large group of people. Not even my Argentine friends do that. Just as a little hint. If I’m wearing a hoodie, I always walk around with my hood up (I look like an obvious American). My friend told me it was a good idea.

By the way, right now Buenos Aires is going through a tough time economically and politically (the guy that went on the rant about Kirchner shows that). You can see this everywhere walking the streets, people don’t look happy. They all look paranoid and weary. It really isn’t a good time to be traveling to this city, to be honest. It’s an amazing city, but the amazingness is mired in the uneasiness and hard to find, sadly.

By: Alejandro

Alejandro — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:11:00 +0000

I don’t know if you are aware of what is happening in Argentina lately or not, but it’s getting worse and worse. The criminals know that they can act with complete impunity and that is why the crime here has no limits. The president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has allowed criminials to leave the prisons – this is no joke – there is a new political group called “Vatayón Militante” which recruits incarcerated prisoners to attend political events organized by the president. Argentina has become a VERY dangerous place as the president continues her leftist populist tirade and crusade against any of the oposition with increasing voracity. The Kirchner presidency is the most corrupt to touch Argentina in modern times. She has no limits to strip people of their rights and has done everything in her power to INCREASE delinquincy all to keep the people scared. Cristina is trying to change the constitution of Argentina, similiar to what Hugo Chavez did in Venezuela. She is trying to change it to she can be continuously be re-elected as president indefinitely.
This is how Kirchner stays in power: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyPC0SD0PGw

By: Rahul

Rahul — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:10:43 +0000

To add to these anecdotes, my cell phone was stolen in a very well coordinated theft. I was walking in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon, near the Plaza de Mayo area. Upon crossing a street, I hear a whistle, meant to sound like a bird, and get splattered liberally with green stuff that looks like bird poop. A lady walks up with tissues in hand and offers to help me clean up. A man joins her as well with tissues in hand to help me clean up. They are both older appearing, and look like they’re sincerely trying to help. Before I realize it, my cell phone is snatched out of a pouch I keep in my front waist. I was so distraught at getting hit by bird poop that I didn’t realize these guys had lifted my cell phone. There had to be at least 3 people coordinating this (one to drop the bird poop substance on me and 2 on the ground offering to help). I was left not only with my cell phone stolen, but with my clothes ruined by splattering with this green stuff that looked like bird poop. I’m a fit male in my late 30s, and I walk fairly fast. These guys were definitely pros in targeting me and pulling this kind of theft off in broad daylight. Be careful out there!