And they told me Rio was dangerous... what about Champaign?

In the last semester, I have received many crime alert e-mails from University of Illinois about robberies and assaults that have occurred on campus at various times during the day and night. And they told me Rio was dangerous…

On that note, I wanted to talk a little about crime here. Rio has a reputation for being a city full of street children and drug traffickers who are always on the prowl. Although the city certainly has its fair share of crime, I am surprised how different it is from my preconceptions. Before coming, I was told not to bring anything valuable because it WILL get stolen. While it is best to not have much on you while walking around the city, it really depends on your location.

Residents of Rio are very aware of the city’s rep as a dangerous place and are working hard to change that perception. From my experience, as long as you stay in places that aren’t super touristy and are smart and aware of your surroundings, you probably won’t have problems. However, things happen regardless of how safe you are being. Two of my friends were walking around Lagoa (a big lake in the center of the city) at 3pm one afternoon with a guy friend and 3 or 4 teenagers robbed them at knifepoint. There were plenty of people around and they weren’t wearing flashy clothes or anything. Things happen. Most of the time, all they want is money. They aren’t trying to hurt anyone. Just give it up and you will be fine.

I also get this vibe that many people (especially wealthy Cariocas) live with a constant feeling of fear. When I told my host mom about some of the awesome things I’ve done and seen that are certainly “off the beaten path” (aka: in poorer areas of the cities), she was dumbfounded that I even considered going there. I have experienced this reaction by many other upper-class people as well. However, when talking with middle or lower-class people, they respond much differently. To them, it is their community, their home, and they feel safe there because they understand the environment. When I visit these places, I am always with people who live there or know the area and I sometimes feel MORE safe in these areas than in the richer parts of the city where many poor people are hanging out in hopes of getting some quick cash.

Overall, yes, Rio has a lot of crime, but not a significant amount more than other cities in Brazil, or in the world. In my opinion, we need to cut Rio a break. This reputation for crime is quite exaggerated.