Crime in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico
Crime rates* (2011)
Violent crimes
Homicide30.6
Rape1.2
Robbery174.4
Aggravated assault78.1
Property crimes
Burglary447.6
Larceny-theft789.7
Motor vehicle theftNot Available
Notes

*Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.


Source: FBI - Uniform Crime Reporting - Crime in the United States 2011 (Table 5)

Crime in Puerto Rico describes acts of violent and non-violent crime that take place within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

To combat crime, the Puerto Rican government adopted a broad anti-crime policy referred to locally as "mano dura contra el crimen" (or simply mano dura), "iron fist against crime".[1][2] In 1993, Governor Pedro Rosselló summed up government efforts by remarking, "They have asked for war, and war they shall have. Let every criminal know: Our patience has ended".[1] However, even after adopting the multiple anti-crime measures, violent crime stayed too high. In 2006, for instance, the island reported 736 murders.[3]

In the early twenty-first century police corruption facilitated drug related crimes; it resulted in the arrest of over thirty Puerto Rico law enforcement agents. It came at a time when Puerto Rico ranked sixth worldwide in murders per capita.[2] To counteract, federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), coordinated efforts with the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) and other local agencies. The increased law enforcement efforts and tactics and equipment used led to popular criticism about a fundamental militarization of the police in the island.[2][4]

  1. ^ a b "Evidente el fracaso de la "Mano Dura" contra el crimen" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Dia. March 14, 2013. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Rosin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Robles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Griffith was invoked but never defined (see the help page).