In Costa Rica It
Is Not Difficult
To Commit Crimes
By John Holtz*
“Guns R Us”
could be our
national slogan
instead of “Pura
Vida”. We are a
country of guns
that lectures
other countries
about not to
have guns
because…guns
kill and we
don't like that.
After all, we
are a nation of
peace and no
military, blah,
blah, blah.
Okay, so many of
those lectures
pertain to
bombs, drones
and military
attack weapons.
But Costa Rica
is a country
with an amazing
amount of per
capita fire
power inside her
borders and very
flimsy laws to
control the
purchase and use
of that fire
power.
Like most all
other laws and
regulations,
they look good
on paper but
reality is quite
different.
We have weapons
that come in all
sizes and styles
from .22 pistols
to AK-47s and
they are in the
hands of
neighborhood
neo-vigilantes,
ten thousand
plus police
officers, the
scared and of
course, the
gangs, drug
cartels,
independent
thieves and paid
assassins.
Bottom line,
Costa Rica needs
to get off this
moral thing
judging others
and on to its
own band wagon
to control the
sale and use of
firearms with
the goal to also
reduce crime.
The laws and
regulations to
own a gun are
too easy and
certainly
dangerous to
life and limb.
And if you don't
have the
patience to meet
the law, just
put out the word
with any guard,
bartender, or
taxi driver that
you have cash to
buy one and the
midnight gun
store is open
for business.
For example, I
know a man 81
years old who
shakes like a
leaf in the wind
and he both owns
and carries in
his car a
magnum. Just
like the one
Dirty Harry
holstered. It
takes him two
hands just to
lift the thing.
One shot and I
expect he would
take out his
wall, the
neighbor´s wall
and the
neighbor´s dog
and wife.
Increasingly,
more and more
crimes are being
committed with
senseless
violence in the
form of
beatings,
stabbings and
shootings in
addition to the
acts robbery or
theft that are
almost of
secondary
importance.
Violence has
turned into a
sport of sorts.
It was not long
ago that Costa
Rica crime was
limited and had
clever
originality of
thought like
kidnapping cars,
calling the
owners who
called the
insurance
company (INS).
Because cars are
so expensive
here, the
insurance
company paid the
ransom instead
of the
insurance.
(Better than
kidnapping
people, right?)
Or, identifying
a transient
business
apartment
complex which
always come
fully furnished
and backing up a
van, calling the
renter on the
intercom and
tell him/her
that she/he is
getting new
furniture but,
“We have to take
out the old
furniture and
appliances first
and will be back
in two hours
with everything
new.” (Sure!)
Some years ago
the best scheme
that I have ever
heard was the
new CEO of
Firestone
arrived and
within a week
his Cadillac was
stolen. La
Nación, the
leading Spanish
language
newspaper, ran
an editorial
condemning this
outrageous act
and making a big
fuss about it.
“The shame of
Costa Rica.”
A few days later
the thieves
called the CEO
at his office
and offered
their apologies
and said, “…this
should not
reflect upon
Costa Rica.
Please go to XYZ
restaurant this
Sunday with your
entire family
and your car
will be returned
to you. As a
good gesture,
the meal is on
us.”
Although super
skeptical but
having nothing
to lose, the CEO
did as requested
and the entire
family enjoyed a
long, tense
lunch and “yes”,
as reported by
the owner, even
paid for by the
car thieves.
After the feast,
the CEO tepidly
went with the
wife and kids to
the parking lot
and….there was
his Cadillac,
washed and
shinny new.
They all drove
back to their
home and found
nothing; I mean
not a thing was
left in the
house including
the carpets and
screens.
But that´s not
the case
anymore. Crime
in Costa Rica
has become hard
core violence.
Just stupid
thugism that any
moron with a
black heart and
big gun could
do.!
It is, “Stick
them up or I
will shoot and
maybe I will
shoot you
anyway, just
because.” It´s
violence to make
a statement
that, “We can
and will do this
to you at any
time, so be
careful if you
call the
police.” In
Costa Rica it is
not difficult to
commit crimes,
all sorts of
crime and with
impunity as we
arrest and then
release these
guys on an
hourly basis.
Both the
victims, as well
as witnesses
usually do not
show up at trial
resulting from
implied or
direct
intimidation.
In truth,
perpetrators
also do not show
up very often
for trial
either. It´s
over before it
began.
On the other
side of the
Costa Rica
shooting gallery
we have those
who carry or
have guns at
home or on them
for self
defense.
The fear factor!
A few years ago
there was a
shoot out, like
the “O.K.
Corral” movie at
the restaurant
Cebolla Verde, a
popular expat
hang out. The
criminals came
in armed and
decided to hold
the place up
including the
patrons. Not
surprisingly,
some patrons
also had guns
and pulled them
out and starting
to blast away at
the robbers.
Unlike most
developed
countries, here
in Costa Rica
the wealthy and
the poor live in
close proximity
to each other,
within the same
community. The
poor or as Costa
Ricans say
“working class”
serve the
wealthy as
gardeners,
maids, handymen,
etc.
In Europe and
the US, the poor
live in their
barrios, away
from the wealthy
and gang type
crime tends to
shoot each other
over territorial
disputes and
drug selling
rights. Rarely
will thugs go to
Beverly Hills to
carry out a
middle of the
night home
invasion. Also
the wealthy tend
to stay away
from South East
Los Angeles and
other similar
places at night
unless they re
customers.
In our little
paradise, the
police, the
cartels, the
gangs,
independents and
the general
public are
overwhelmingly
packing these
days and not at
all afraid of
blazing away on
any street, in
any home, at any
bus stop at any
location at any
time of day or
night.
Will the
presidential
call for 25,000
more spanking
new police on
the streets have
any tangible
affect or just
add another
level of chaos
to what is
already chaotic
law enforcement?
That´s about one
cop for every
168 people.
Seems pretty
dramatic and
more evidence
that crime in
Costa Rica is
getting further
and further out
of control. We
intend to fight
force with
force.
More important,
our judicial
system needs to
focus far more
on protecting
society from
crime rather
than rights of
criminals who
commit crime
which has been
the case for
years and years.
In her up and
coming plan for
a secure Costa
Rica, Presidenta,
Chinchilla has
to address this
paramount issue
before adding so
many police
officers and
putting more
guns into
circulation.
*John Holtz is the Executive Director of
the Center for
the Studies of
Modern
Management
www.modernmanagement.org and can
be reached at:
jrh@modernmanagement.org.
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