Safety in Brazil

I live in Chicago. My wife is Brazilian. We go there often (Belo Horizonte). Just got back from a two week visit.

Yes, there is crime, but greatly exaggerated. Chicago has more nasty things going on than any city in Brazil that I know of.

Yes, be careful of pickpockets and look around when you are using an ATM.

Hi Mickey34,

The media everywhere tends to sensationalize crime to the extreme. You should see the news we get about the USA here in Brazil. So don't pay too much attention to what you're seeing on the news or in the papers it is really exaggerated.

Yes there is a lot of crime in Brazil and the (intentional) homicide rate is about 4 times higher yes. That said, most of the real violent crimes in this country are those that take place between the criminal elements themselves; drug deals gone bad, settling scores, jealousy, etc.

The petty crimes are without exception crimes of opportunity and one need only follow the common sense safety rules that you'd use anywhere (including back at home in your own city) and you'll be just fine. I've lived here in Brazil for over 13 years now, in 5 different states, and I've never had a single problem in all that time.

Read my posting A Gringo's Survival Guide to Brazil. Learn an follow all the safety tips in it and you'll not only be just fine, but you'll love this country as much as the rest of us do.

I'd be a lot more scared about visiting Detroit than coming to Brazil, honestly!

Cheers,
James      Expat-blog Experts Team

Thanks,

I was ready to unpack my bags.  You know, it's awful the way the media uses scare tactics to put fear into people.  Scaring people for fun and profit! I feel a whole lot better now. I'm a tough New Yorker.  I'll be okay.

Thanks for your answer. The media wants to portray the sky is falling.  I'm glad that you enjoyed your time in Brazil.  Soon it will be my turn.

Go to Brazil.  I think you are giving into fear and anxiety.  Lookup the statistics of how many people go to Brazil every year without a problem.  200,000,000 people live there, if your fears were not exaggerated then most of them would be dead. 

Your other option is just not to go to Brazil.  Why let fear and anxiety  prevent you from have an incredibly amazing experience in Brazil.

For reference, 2 weeks ago I saw a dude toting a gun in midtown Manhattan.  I'd never seen this in Brazil.

Homicide rate are extremely high but 95% are generally in very localized districts of big town. Generally the poorest district and related to drugs traficing and alcolism. When you live in other places and get involved with people that you shouldn't get involved with, this is actually much safer. Clearly robbers are arround and first recommendation is to never resist...that's life in Brazil.
But honnestly, did you plan to travel without prior knowledge of Brazil situation? I mean that it will be like Switzerland but with sun and beaches? When travelling to Brazil, you need to be really aware of things happening arround you and at the same time try to mixt as much with average Brazilian population. If you are looking like an ulterly naive tourist, you would take some risks (actually same things in all US cities too).

I've been here 9 months...and so far, so good. *knocks on wood*

I live in a small city about an hour from Sao Paulo with a population of roughly 1 million. We don't get a lot of tourists here but there are a lot of expats living here. I know a family of expats who has lived here for 5 years and thankfully, they haven't had a single bad incident in these years. However, they live in a nice gated community, their children attend a posh private school, and they only frequent nice neighborhoods. I generally agree with what the others on this thread posted. However, I will say this much:  almost every Brazilian I know has had something "bad" happen to them or to someone they know. My husband has lived in Brazil for 30 years, and he spent 20 of those years in SP where he was robbed at knife-point "a few times."  However, he's also the first to admit that he was "stupid" and carelessly walked around in seedy neighborhoods when he was a teenager.  My father-in-law was a victim of an attempted robbery...in the stairwell of his apartment building in SP, someone knocked him over and tried to steal his wallet.  My husband's aunt had a thief on a motorcycle reach in through her open car window and swipe her necklace.

My best Brazilian friend told me that her younger sister (early 20s) has been robbed twice fairly recently while walking from her house to her school in the state of Minas Gerais (not sure about which city). Once, she had her purse stolen, and the second time, her phone.  My Portuguese teacher lost her grandfather a few years ago when a thief/murderer followed my teacher and her grandmother into their house when they opened the gate to the house to park their car. The thief/murderer shot my teacher's grandfather and killed him.    My husband's boss was robbed in Rio at gunpoint when he was there on a business trip. I don't remember the exact details, but I know that they were driving around in a company van in broad daylight when they were robbed. Stories like this are very common.  Not to say that these types of crimes don't happen in the U.S. or other countries...of course, they do. But I definitely think that the level of crime here in Brazil is worse. I think that part of the problem is that you have posh neighborhoods that border slums...unlike in the U.S., you can't get away from the slums here in Brazil. They're everywhere...so you really do have to be vigilant. I'm not trying to scare you, but I'm trying to paint a realistic picture for you based on what I've heard and seen so far. Come to Brazil. Enjoy this beautiful country and all that it has to offer, but don't be stupid. When I went to Rio for the first time, I was only there for 2 days, but no matter what time of day it was, no matter what neighborhood I was in, I took every precaution possible. I left all my jewelry and valuables at home and walked around in flip flops and a cheap beach bag with a credit card and just enough cash for taxis. That's it.  If you come to Brazil, you will probably go to Rio. I know many Brazilians who say that they don't feel safe in Rio, so be careful. Personally, I've never completely felt safe in SP either - I haven't explored SP in depth, but from a tourist's standpoint, there are many "seedy-looking" neighborhoods - and I go to SP at least once a month to see my in-laws.

Your assessment isn't too far off Victoria, but I think that the reason many of the crimes happen to Brazilians with much greater frequency is that they tend not to take the necessary precautions. They're so used to the high level of crime and violence they've become hardened to it, and think that it happens to everybody else.

I mean really now, who in their right mind drives around with their windows rolled down, especially when they've got air conditioning and tinted windows? They make themselves targets because at least with the windows up the crooks can't see what or who's in the car in the first place. For all they know it could be full of armed undercover cops. Or they pull right up on the back bumper of the car in front at a traffic signal, leaving themselves no escape route. If rahter than that they'd simply slow down to a crawl and keep rolling until the light changed they wouldn't be the easy target crooks are waiting for. If you rob them of that opportunity they're going to look for a much easier target. Sadly, they'll always find one.

Despite the ever increasing number of "saidinha do banco" robberies where somebody on the inside watches for clients to make a large cash withdrawal and then pass the information by phone to two more gang members on a motorcycle outside; Brazilians continue to make large cash withdrawals rather than paying the small fee for administrative checks which anyone will gladly accept for a major transaction or transfer funds directly to the person's bank account.

Smartphones and expensive gold chains, well the Brazilians have an absolute mania for showing them off. It makes them feel important, shows they're somebody. Ostentation gets them robbed and all too often killed.

We "gringos", by and large, tend to take our personal security much more seriously because we're wandering around in uncharted territory to begin with. I guess when it comes to the Brazilians the old saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt" really does ring true.

Cheers,
James      Expat-blog Experts Team

A good security advice for expats is to use a car like all middle-high class Brazilians. This is actually much much more secure than walking in the street or use public transports. It does seem to be a non-advice for North-Americans who are also using their car for everything but for Europeans, this is a quite a shock. I did not use one time a car during my student and professional life. So 25 years without using a car to reach to my work place (I mean really never).
Like in North-America, everything is distant, so a car is very pratical but this is also the best solution for your security.

Hey I'd say it's like the biggest countries here in Latin America just be careful with the people that is around you, and be careful to the parts of the cities that you go. But apparently the media loves to exaggerate this kind of things...

It's not bad, just be aware of surroundings just like anywhere in the world. Use ATM in secure area like a mall. I'm currently in Goiania dropping the family off. I return in December to live full time here. Visit and enjoy wonderful Brasil!

I grew up in Queens. As a fellow New Yorker, I can assure you that you will be fine. If you believe the hype of the media, then NYC would have a murder every half hour which would be solved before bed time by some border line alcoholic with a gun.

You don't say where in Brazil you are planning to go. It's a big diverse country. Like most countries, some places require more caution than others. Where are you planning to go?

I've been to Brazil many times. Lately, my visits are to Rio, Macae and Buzios, but I've been to Sao Paulo and other cities as well. I have never once been mugged or felt like I was in any danger. However, I make a point of knowing where not to go and to not make myself look like a target, especially when I'm alone. When I'm in Rio, I usually stay in Copacabana. I avoid going near any favelas. I go out often out well past midnight, but I try to keep an eye on my surroundings and not look conspicuous.

People get robbed, mugged and drugged in many places around the world. As others have pointed out, common sense goes a long way to ensuring you're not one of the unfortunate people who have a bad experience. Good luck doesn't hurt either.

Best advice is to stay alert, avoid risks and use good judgment. Everyone here has surveillance cameras, alarms, etc. Also a good idea to be close to your neighbors. Everyone will help out by helping to keep an eye on the neighborhood.

Thanks James..... Newspapers can't sell ads unless the make a mountain out of a molehill.

I lived in Lancaster, California, Morgan Hill, California and San Jose, California. I now live in Brazil. I saw more crime in California than I do here.  Brazilians don't like nor tolerate crime like anybody else.  Don't believe everything you read or hear. Yes they have crime here but it's not as bad as the news makes it out to be.

I´m happy to share my experience. I can only speak for Porto Alegre, not for Brasil.  I lived 9 years in New York and 8 in Philadelphia, and was mugged once in each city, but never in 6 years here in Brazil.  I am more cautious here.

As with every country, your experience of crime depends on who you are. I am a middle class professional, and so are most expats and tourists.  Most Brazilians are not middle class professionals, or not in the sense we expect in rich countries.  So, my experience of crime is in the minority among Brazilians and majority among expats from wealthy countries like myself.

Here, am part of the top 10% of income earners, but certainly not so in my native country! The number one threat for people like me here is car theft. I know of someone who has been "carjacked" 9 times here.  Most "muggings", or street assaults, happen in lower-middle-class (classe B, C) areas where middle and upper-middle-class Brazilians do not go (Classe A).  However, street assaults do occur in my middle-class neighborhood as well.

Now, it must be said that expats and tourists often go where Brazilians who earn the same income do not go - the center of the city, the "popular" public parks and squares, tourist locations, isolated and dark streets.  Muggings often happen here, especially at night.  Streets with heavy shopping foot-traffic often have muggings during the day as well.

In 6 years here in Brazil, my Brazilian wife and I walk in public every day, (though not in poorer areas), we mostly ride in buses, trains and taxis, and we avoid walking outside late at night and in dark and empty areas.  We have never been assaulted. I credit this to not having a car, not frequently visiting tourist or high-crime areas, and not exposing myself as a foreigner by speaking loudly or wearing foreign clothes.  My expat friends who do not have cars have had the same relatively safe experience we´ve had.  I don´t worry about crime.  However, I live in an apartment with a 2.5 meter steel fence with a locked gate, and electric fence atop it, a guard on our block, a locked building door, a building alarm system, fake cameras, and another steel gate in front of my interior front door. None of this bothers me, but it might bother some people who come here from rich countries because these defenses reflect real crime threats that I face.

It seems that people with family wealth or who earn more than R$10,0000 or R$15,000 do not walk on sidewalks.  They use cars to go from their private parking spaces to other private parking garages, and do not desire or risk being in public out of doors except in highly specialized and guarded locations.  Examples would be the most expensive shopping and nightlife streets, and two specific public parks.  For the most part, they appear to spend 99% of their lives here in Porto Alegre in private spaces, which includes offices and and shopping malls.  Public space almost does not exist for them and they do not encounter much street crime or many carjackings.  However, they are targeted for home invasions in which they can be tied up, beaten, threatened and killed.  And they can be kidnapped.  Thanks to extensive private Brazilian security, this does not happen often here.  Wealthy people who live outside of Porto Alegre in RS are more exposed to these risks, though violent crime is generally lower in the countryside.

So, most expats and many tourists will have a similar sense of security here in RS when compared to North America, if they take precautions as I do.  Compared to Europe, it´s more dangerous.  I can´t speak for the rest of the world.