What does “24/7 Security” really mean on the north coast?

It can mean anything from an gate at the property entrance to armed roving guards..  It really depends on the community and yes the more the cost of the homes the stricter the security.

Bob K

The more a place costs, the richer a target it becomes. Therefore, greater security is needed.  The lower the profile, the less likely to be singled out for trouble. I live on a short cul de sac with a total of 18 apts, spread overseveral buildings. A very quiet street. A 24/7 armed security would cost $400usd a month or about $20.00 an apt.  Pretty cheap hunh?  This is mixed middle class people. They said No to the idea/ Why?  We are not rich, not worth it. That is not to say that we are immune to the random street crime, no one is. Do not predicate your decision upon 24/7 guards. This crime thing gets overworked as a selling point. Even in the worst barrios here are safer than where you are now. No matter what it takes, get your ass out of there now!   You are 49,.... want to see 59 ?....  Move!

24/7 security can and does mean a variety of things.  You need to be very careful assuming anything with this. 

There are  various schools of thought regarding security. One is it make you a target and the other says it prevents you being a target.

I  think you need to evaluate every statement and situation to see what will work best for that particular location and your circumstances.  Also you need to clearly understand what it actually means. 

I once was in a location where there was security 24/7.  There was  an armed guard all the time. One day friends went up to the guard and asked to pose with his gun.  No problem he says, there  are no bullets in it anyway!

Come visit again, make it a longer one this time. You will have abetter idea of what is best for you. An often overlooked factor of condo costs are the history of assesments over the last 5 years or so & the quality and timeliness of the maintanence staff & history of your monthly fees. What do the fees cover?  Choosing a condo like choosing a gated compound have many facets to be explored.  Never assume that what is normal at home is the same here.

Thanks all!

tinker - you are so right! I hate living here; this city (and State) has changed a lot since I moved here from Houston back in 1988 for college. I should have gone straight back to TX after graduating. I've had two vehicles stolen, a vehicle break-in, an apartment break-in, and my next door neighbor was robbed at gunpoint in our building. I can't wait to leave. Having read some of the stories on this forum, I think I'd actually feel safer without guards constantly knowing when I'm home or not. Good point about condo fees, assessments, etc. as well. Thanks!

I will be coming down for an extended pre-move visit for a month or so but that likely won't be for another year at least. Lots of Spanish to learn, finances to figure out, etc. in the meantime. For now, dreaming about it will help keep me sane…I hope.

planner - no bullets in the gun…now that's funny! Didn't I read a thread about you being broken in to some time back? Ripped the bars off your window?

- Greg

Oops! Just learned that this is one of those forums that limits the time you can edit a post. I was just coming back for a simple edit but could not do it. Just wanted to add a little background on myself.

Short version: Self-employed graphic design guy for 12 years. Retired early. Met a girl. Got bored and went back to work.

Back in 2006, I had begun to sell off all my personal belongings to move to the US Virgin Islands. Life there was quite cheap back then. Then I met the above-mentioned girl. We had a 12 year relationship that ended this past February. Other than some good friends, I have nothing keeping me here.

Yes good memory!  There apparently are good and bad ways to install bars.  And this was an inside job. Landladies brother was the bad guy.  And that is common, it is more often than not,  an inside job!

I second everything posted above...but, I had one thought as I read the response:  Income/Opportunity inequities will always go hand and hand with high crime rates.  No different here...or there...or anywhere.

I certainly am not one to talk about 24/7 security as I've been in the States for 57 years and now back home here now for 2 months. To me it is how you carry yourself. How people see you. Yes I am Dominican, but even if I was not.
Are you an easy target? The best advice I can give you is not just for living here. It's for living anywhere. be confident. It's about how you carry yourself.
You belong, and never forget to use your common sense. JMHO

Just an anecdote from my little slice of paradise on a North Coast hill.
We bought a small two bedroom house with a pool around Cabrera, small'ish non-touristy town. Love at first sight. Haven't regretted it one bit. We like the town, the people we have met and the expat community really looks out for one another. We plan to retire there in a few years.

Ours was the only house on that hill for over 10 years (apparently years ago a man was squatting in the house and carrying out crime on several spots until he was routed out...) Now there are three homes up there and more planned.  We had high hopes of being off the beaten-path/radar to avoid having to have a gated-community.  Our neighbors who have lived in Cabrera for 8 years now...and lived in Southeast Asia and 10 years in Honduras...recently built their modest home with a pool up there and no one is really planning a large expensive looking villa...but, everything is relative.  They are now interested in all of us banning together and 'gating' the community.

We would all pool together and build a caretaker house between the two gates to our respective roads. Other neighbors have a small property and since they are only in Cabrera 6 months out of the year, they built a nice caretaker house and have an armed guard 24/7.  It has worked out well for them.  It comes down to who you know in the community. Our neighbors are well connected and I trust they will find someone to provide security for ourselves and our renters.  We have all been robbed and unfortunately some physical attacks occurred.  The people responsible for last winter's robbery are already out of jail.  Even the two men who were caught after murdering three expats in Cabrera last year and were sentenced to 70 years are being released. 

We feel that we need to take matters into our own hands and protect ourselves and that looking out for ourselves as a neighborhood is the only way we can feel safe.  Here in the states the police arrive within 2-5 minutes in our neighborhood if there's a call.  I can't rely on the same protection (and don't expect it) from the Cabrera police.  I know what they are paid and how few there are for an ever-expanding expat haven.  So, the reality is that no where is perfectly safe, and as expats we need to take what steps we feel are necessary in our individual situations.  I love my neighbors and I feel they add to the value of our property...and we are there to help them too.

Just my 2 cents...