Costa Ricans look to arm themselves to counter increasing crime

Paralleling headlines of increased crime in Costa Rica comes a new statistic that 2007 saw a 42% increase in gun sales in comparison with the previous year. The trend does not seem to be slowing with a record 693 gun permits solicited just this past January — that is nearly one gun per hour. If this number holds steady, 2008 could see 8,300 new guns on the streets, just under the 8,551 permits that were solicited in 2007.

Since 1989, legal gun sales have quadrupled in the country. It is estimated that 100,000 guns have been legally sold since that date, while the number of illegal guns coming into the country is unknown.

With a rise in car theft and mugging, families feel the need to defend themselves. Shootings are reported on a daily basis, either as part of a robbery, or drunken disputes between friends and strangers. With the increase in civilians holding guns, simple fights are more likely to turn deadly. A person in possession of a gun may feel unstoppable and often act more aggressive.

While the police and Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) continue to increase their ranks and crack down on petty crimes, the incidences continue to occur. According to a poll by La Republica, in three out of every 10 homes, at least one person has been a victim of a crime in the past three months.

This does not mean that guns are the answer. If the person in possession of the gun does not have extensive training in how to handle it, the gun could easily fall into the hands of an assailant, and get filtered back into the black market where it could be used on other victims. Firing stray bullets at an attacker may succeed in scaring them off, but can also be quite dangerous for anyone else in the area.

In general, an increase in guns will mean an increase in shootings. The most important thing is for the population to be aware of dangers and not to attract problems when possible. Laptops, ipods, nice bags and watches are all targets for petty crimes.

Photo courtesy of ku.edu.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on February 19th, 2008