Car rental in Chile - Crime

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Crime

CRIME: The U.S. Embassy regularly receives reports of the theft of purses, wallets, backpacks, and luggage containing passports, credit cards, and money. Thefts have been reported in restaurants, bus stations, airports, and other places frequented by tourists. There has also been a rise in the report of thefts from hotel rooms, including rooms in better hotels.Violent crimes, such as muggings, and sexual assault, also occur from time to time. Most recently, an American citizen woman was raped in Vina del Mar.

Street crime is a problem in metropolitan Santiago in general and specifically in the city center. One should be particularly alert while walking in the downtown area, especially in the late afternoon, after dark, or on weekends, even in well-traveled areas. In Santiago and other large Chilean cities, thieves thrive on crowds on the street during rush hour and aboard public transportation.

There have been reports of travelers renting cars and leaving the airport only to find tires leaking and eventually going flat, or of individuals driving out of store parking lots only to have their tires go flat soon thereafter. Individuals, seemingly stopping to help, have then robbed them. If this should happen to you, pull into a service station or other well-lit public place before attempting to repair the tire.

Petty crime is also prevalent at crowded tourist locations, at Metro (subway) stations, on trains and buses, and occasionally in taxis. Persons wearing expensive-looking jewelry or carrying luggage or cameras are favorite targets for pickpockets and purse-snatchers. Bags and briefcases may be stolen from chairs in restaurants and outdoor cafes. Outside Santiago, robberies and assaults have occurred most frequently in the Vina del Mar and Valparaiso areas, which become increasingly crowded during the height of the Chilean summer season (December through March). Cruise ship passengers debarking in Valparaiso should remain alert since they may seem easy targets for crime.

Individuals whose passports are stolen will be required to obtain duplicates of their tourist cards from the Policia International before they can depart the country.

The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlets, A Safe Trip Abroad and Tips for Travelers to Central and South America, for ways to promote a more trouble-free journey. These publications are available by mail from, the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402; via the Internet at http://www.gpoaccess.gov; or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.