'Crime tourism' bringing burglary crews from South America to Hillsborough, other CA communities

ABC 7 news ^ | 03 18 2022 | Sid Garcia

[metmom]

I have some family in Costa Rica. After spending just a little time there one is struck by how homes, even fairly poor ones, are built to defend against burglary. If there is any kind of ‘front yard’ it is behind a tall gated fence. Bars are on all the windows. There is razor wire installed on top of the fence. Back yard is surrounded by tall walls again topped with razor wire, or the more old school broken glass embedded in cement. Tall gates installed at the back of the house just in case.

I visited some missionary friends in Colombia many years ago, and the same thing happens there.

We truly do not know how good we have it in spite of how much it has deteriorated. We need to work to keep it that way.

[vivenne]

Pretty soon, they will start kidnapping for ransom, the wealthy people in those enclaves. That’s what they do in South America.

[ronniesgal]

big bucks? I’m very safe then.

[ronniesgal]

we lived in Africa and same thing.
But we we told “ oh, no real crime here” so why the razor wire and broken glass?
Besides the thieves used a mattress to slide over the wire and glass sometimes t o get in your yard.
I had a mean dog and zero theft.

[The Duke]

"I knew that people would start visiting California just to shoplift in its stores.."

Since they're basically "giving stuff away" I thought I might visit CA and get back just enough to compensation to account for my federal income taxes.

Well, maybe stay a day or two extra to wet the ol' beak a little.

[SeafoodGumbo]

It’s the same in Honduras. When down there, I remember hearing about someone who had the roof stolen off of his house while he was out of town.