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Post by jabberwocky on Jun 23, 2016 20:58:25 GMT -5
From what I have read not just here but in news accounts and FB forum it seems crime is up not just in Medellin but in most major cities( and smaller cities and towns) - just wondering why? Less policing? Ineffective policing? Economy getting worse for pobres so they turn to robbery?
What do your Colombian families, friends think? Do they fell less safe than 2 years ago?
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Post by makopp5 on Jun 23, 2016 21:06:55 GMT -5
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Post by dandl93 on Jun 23, 2016 22:08:00 GMT -5
Not only in Colombia, I read something about 13 violent dead in Chicago last weekend. Chicago has had 271 murders already this year.Mostly gang related and innocent people shot by drive bys. As for Colombia the new laws are against the law abiding and leaves the criminals alone.Social equality politics is not helping at all by moving the displaced and poor to other areas where the unemployment rates are already high.My small town built 200 free homes for the displaced in 1 year they are full of drugs and criminals.
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Post by makopp5 on Jun 23, 2016 22:11:02 GMT -5
dandl
you are wrong the number is up now over 300 in Chicago. Medellin is much safer.
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Post by suba on Jun 23, 2016 23:21:30 GMT -5
Chicago is not representative of the US, Medellin is certainly representative of Colombia.
There is no comparison between safety in the US and safety in Colombia. You can't sit on a park bench in Colombia without being told you are the one inviting trouble, in the US and other civilised nations that attitude is ridiculous.
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Post by billyb on Jun 23, 2016 23:31:11 GMT -5
dandl you are wrong the number is up now over 300 in Chicago. Medellin is much safer. Going to Chitown next month. Good thing I will be in the North Side. Lived there 4 years and never stepped foot in Southside. It's like the Cubbies and the Chisox are in different planets instead of same city.
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Post by wildstubby on Jun 24, 2016 5:47:42 GMT -5
One of my co-workers used to live in the Southside of Chicago. He still has family there. He said he can't believe it. He said it was bad when he was growing up but never thought he would live to see the day that it would look like today! Anyway, in one of these threads I posted a link listing the 50 most violent cities in the world. The survey was done in 2014 I think. Medellin was at #48. I think Pereira was at #37 and Cali not far behind. With most of the violent cities being either in Brazil, Venezuela, or Mexico. Of course, the US was not absent from the list with St. Louis, Chicago, and Baltimore in there near the top 20!
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Post by makopp5 on Jun 24, 2016 6:09:43 GMT -5
Chicago is not representative of the US, Medellin is certainly representative of Colombia. There is no comparison between safety in the US and safety in Colombia. You can't sit on a park bench in Colombia without being told you are the one inviting trouble, in the US and other civilised nations that attitude is ridiculous. suba I've sit many times on park bench without any problems. The first time I remember in 1993 in Parque Bolivar in Medellin. Starting to talk to 1 person and afterwards there were 20 people around.
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Post by bickmed on Jun 24, 2016 7:20:45 GMT -5
Our general feeling is that crime is up in Medellin. We take more care even in Poblado and all the wifes rings etc are now fakes and I rarely wear my half decent watch.
Lleras has turned into a bit of a cesspit, although I think that is generally more due to all the backpackers pouring in and bring petty drugs dealers and hookers. You cannot walk 5 metres now without some fool offering drugs. They have really bought down this nice part of time. Luckily it seems to die down quickly as one enters Provenza, however with the amount of hostels opening up I see that changing. Luckily Rio Sur is way to expensive for them!!!
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Post by livinginmedellin on Jun 24, 2016 7:22:40 GMT -5
One of my co-workers used to live in the Southside of Chicago. He still has family there. He said he can't believe it. He said it was bad when he was growing up but never thought he would live to see the day that it would look like today! Anyway, in one of these threads I posted a link listing the 50 most violent cities in the world. The survey was done in 2014 I think. Medellin was at #48. I think Pereira was at #37 and Cali not far behind. With most of the violent cities being either in Brazil, Venezuela, or Mexico. Of course, the US was not absent from the list with St. Louis, Chicago, and Baltimore in there near the top 20! Here's a link to the latest list of the 50 most violent cities in the world based on homicide rates. Medellín is no longer on the list. Colombia has 3 cities on the list: Palmira is #8, Cali is #10 and Pereira is #44. Brazil has over 20 cities on the list. In the U.S., St. Louis is #15, Baltimore is #19 and New Orleans is #32 - Chicago isn't on the list. Of course Caracas, Venezuela is the most violent city in the world with 8 cities in Venezuela on the list with the mess in Venezuela. See: www.seguridadjusticiaypaz.org.mx/biblioteca/prensa/send/6-prensa/231-caracas-venezuela-the-most-violent-city-in-the-world
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Post by jabberwocky on Jun 24, 2016 7:43:49 GMT -5
I was born in Gary Indiana, just outside of Chicago. Gary was tough then and a lot worse now - Chicago like a lot of American cities - just depends on what part you live, parts of the Southside - like a war zone - north side - probably as safe as anywhere in the US.
Crime seems to come and go in parts of Medellin, we have relatives that live in San Javiar - a couple miles above the last metro stop - its never the safest area, but a year ago the gangs got out of control and life got really tough, an Aunt closed up her house and moved out for 3 months, they brought more police and military in and the bad guys moved on to other locations, things got back to normal - but what happens when they reduce the police presence - bad guys move back in, too bad, while the area is pretty poor, they have 2 nice little houses( by San Javiar standards) set way up on the hill , great views of the valley and nice refreshing breeze - way in the distance you can watch the planes land at the city airport. In the States it would probably be an area of high end housing - great views yet not too far from the city - in Medellin - pobrecitos.
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Post by dandl93 on Jun 24, 2016 8:09:10 GMT -5
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Post by makopp5 on Jun 24, 2016 8:23:19 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2016 8:34:45 GMT -5
The thing that Medellin and Chicago have in common is that there are no guns for the good guys-just the criminals. The thing that is different between Medellin and Chicago is that the crime statistics from Medellin are probably about 20% accurate and the crime statistics from Chicago are probably about 80% accurate. This lets Medellin put its best foot forward and allows the international living types(and others who continually cite crime statistics) promote the peaceful Utopian life of Medellin. Another difference in Colombia vs the US is that even when crime appears to subside in Colombia-it's not because there are no more bad guys-it's just that there is some tentative agreement between politicians, and those high class wealthy families, and the various criminal groups to carry on with the pillaging of the masses. But it is a delicate balance and violence can erupt at any moment.
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Post by dandl93 on Jun 24, 2016 8:37:23 GMT -5
2 reports differant stats shows you cant beleive the media.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2016 9:26:12 GMT -5
When I talk to my Colombian friends and family about crime, they perceive an increase in crime as well. Many point their fingers at Santos' lax stance on security as an underlying reason for the increase. Some sense that foreigners are higher value targets for crime than ever before. My two cents, I think the economy may have something to do it in spite of all the rosy reports. What I just stated is not based on statistics or inside information... it is based solely on "Feelings" and speculation.
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Post by suba on Jun 24, 2016 9:40:48 GMT -5
Only those that believed Santos when he said he would be tough on FARC whilst negotiating the peace agreement, are still arguing that Colombia is not becoming more dangerous by the day.
It's always the same, Medellin last week was supposedly the new silicon valley, with perfect weather and was the number one retirement hotspot and so on. Then foreigners start to get shot and suddenly no one is comparing Medellin to silicon valley, they're comparing it to the south side of Chicago.
I still consider myself a visitor to this country and so I prefer to listen to what Colombians are saying and all of them fear the country is slipping back to the bad old days - the only debate they have is over how fast.
Funnily enough, the bad guys don't seem to want to become good citizens even when the government stops fighting them.
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