Cheap car hire Uruguay - Crime

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Crime

CRIME: In the capital city of Montevideo, petty street crimes, such as pickpocketing, purse-snatching, confrontational robberies, and thefts from unsecured automobiles, occur daily. Such crimes are usually non-violent, but the potential for violence exists if perpetrators are armed and victims resist. Potential thieves roam at all hours seeking “targets of opportunity” in the downtown areas of Montevideo such as Ciudad Vieja, Avenida 18 de Julio, Plaza Independencia, and the vicinity around the port. Visitors should avoid walking in those areas and use taxis when possible, especially at night. Victims are usually foreign tourists, individuals openly carrying valuable items, and motorists in unlocked vehicles stopped at busy intersections, particularly on Montevideo's riverfront road known as the Rambla. Drivers should keep all car doors locked, the driver's window open only one inch, and purses, bags, briefcases and other valuables out of sight on the floor or in the trunk. Parked cars, particularly in the Carrasco neighborhood, are also increasingly targeted for break-ins. During the summer months (December-March), beach resort areas such as Punta del Este attract tourists, and petty street crimes and residential burglaries-similar to those that occur in Montevideo-rise significantly. Visitors are advised to exercise common sense in the conduct of their activities around Montevideo and in Uruguayan resort areas. They should be very attentive to personal security and their surroundings in the aforementioned areas.

Uruguayan law enforcement authorities have increased the number of uniformed policemen on foot in areas where criminal activity is concentrated, and the number of patrol cars in residential areas. The clearly marked patrol cars are equipped with cellular phones and the phone numbers are conspicuously painted on the vehicles.

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 pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad for ways to promote a trouble-free journey. The pamphlet is available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, via the Internet at http://www.gpoaccess.gov, or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.