Between November 2011 and February 2012, the statistics in Punta Carretas, Montevideo, are shocking:
- 39% of the population were victims of theft or assault at least once during that 4-month period. That is 2 out of every 5 people.
- 72% of the robberies were non-violent, meaning that 28% (greater than 1 in 4) of the robberies were violent. Violent robberies account for 38% in the rest of Montevideo.
- Therefore, 11% of the population of Punta Carretas, greater than 1 in 10, was violently robbed in that 4-month time period.
- 40% of total annual crime occurs in this 4-month period.
- According to survey, 50% of the people feel that their experiences with the police, post-incident, were negative.
- In 35% of the cases, the police took longer than 16 minutes to respond or never showed up at all.
- Of all the cases, 11% result in arrest, and only 9% go to judicial proceedings.
- Survey shows that 60% of people do not feel safe in their own neighborhood.
- 65% surveyed call for greater police presence.
And, to twist the knife…
- It is estimated that 60% of robberies and assaults go unreported.
Source: El Pais, thanks to SwingDanceBob.
I smell bullshit, primarily because I should have already met many more PC residents who had been robbed lately than I actually have, but also because the methodology is very suspect.
The “study” was performed by the “security commission of Punta Carretas neighbors”, which sounds like it consists of a group of the-sky-is-already-falling vigilantes. They already knew what they wanted the answer to be (seriously, who joins a group like that?), and they were “trained” by unknown persons on how to give the survey. We can all guess what that perfunctory training looked like, can’t we? (Maybe they used the same stellar trainers as they did with the census folks, who took six months to do the “month of census”.)
And the selection was random but voluntary? Great–if I haven’t been robbed, I’m probably not going to volunteer to waste my time talking to survey people either (non-response bias). But if my house was hit, yeah, I’ve got a big axe to grind and I’ll invite you in for mate
They also don’t list a margin of error. I call this a bullshit amateur poll with numbers that may as well be made up. I recommend that the security commission go get a job at the Argentina national statistics institute–I hear that the Argentines could use some help with calculating their official inflation numbers!
I think this commenter had it right on:
“Apeape 05723.05.201220:15
Esto es un bolazo más grande que una casa y es una vergüenza que El Pais publique algo así sin analizar. Si un 39% de los vecinos fue asaltado, descontando niños chicos y la gente que no sale de su casa, daría como que 1 de cada 2 adultos que anduvo por la calle fue asaltado en un período de 4 meses!! Si pensamos que el barrio puede tener unos 50.000 habitantes da casi 20.000 asaltos. Es que en Punta Carretas hay más asaltos que en el conjunto del resto del país? Por favor, sean menos obvios en la campaña del miedo!!!”
I agree with LiesBob. The source is suspect. However, used to live there for 3 or 4 years and I know people there. The situation is indeed deteriorating. Many “caras feas”.