>From: Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@datamann.com>
>
>I can confirm this phenomenon, but also that there is a different
>relationship between robbers and their victims in those countries than
>here. A business associate was in Rio visiting freinds when a robber
>with a pistol entered the house (which was surrounded by a high wall and
>alarmed gates) and robbed each person at gunpoint. Everyone quietly gave
>the theif their money and jewelry, and the theif calmly left the
>premises. Afterwards, my freind Andy asked why nobody defended
>themselves, and they replied with shocked looks, "We just give them what
>they want and they go away, and nobody gets hurt." In reaction to his
>dumbfounded look, they asked, "How does it work in the US?"
>Andy replied,"In the US, if you give them your money, they then shoot
>you anyways, so nobody can ID them to police."
I'm not sure it's so much a matter of a relationship between robbers and
victims as much as one between victims and law enforcement. Given the
major corruption of security forces, and their inefficiency and lack of
resources to deal with reported crimes, most people don't bother to
report things to the police. I'm quoting from thin air so I may be off-mark,
but I think in Argentina only 1 in 5 crimes are actually reported, and of
those reported, 1 in 15 are solved. The judiciary is also a complete mess,
and many arrested small crime offenders get released as the maximum term
for "preventive prison" (being hold until trial happens) passes without
the prosecutors being able to pursue the trial. Violent robberies have been
more related to "career robbers" (lots of banking assaults in Argentina) or to
inexperienced new young robbers that get scared too easily and shoot first,
rob second, without much sense or reason. The conexions of small robbers (and
even of bank gangs) with police officers who act as controllers or pawn
brokers for the stolen goods is sadly not uncommon, on top of it all.
Carlos
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