Safety
Alright, this is a complicated topic, but one that needs to be addressed. You probably already know Rio isn’t the safest city in the world, but it’s also not as bad as it’s sometimes portrayed.
I hope I can shed some light on the issue, and help you feel safe and at ease during your stay here.
I know what I’m talking about regarding this topic, because as a very obvious, light-skinned and green-eyed gringo, who had quite a rocky start when he came here in 2018, I was determined to understand the dynamics of violence in Rio de Janeiro and learn how to stay safe, which is not as difficult as it might seem.
If you want to dive deep into the subject, I wholeheartedly recommend the book Drugs and Democracy in Rio de Janeiro.
Anyway, before I begin, I want to reiterate one thing. Your penthouse is arguably in one of the safest, if not the safest, areas of Rio de Janeiro. So none of the tips or cautions I write down below apply here.
You can walk around Vidigal completely safely at any time of day or night with your phone, jewelry, etc. Nothing will happen to you.
To understand more about Violence in Rio and why Vidigal is so safe, click here to expand this section
Ok, so Rio de Janeiro is geographically and spiritually split into two parts:
- Parts that are under governmental control
- Parts that are not under governmental control
The parts not under state control are called favelas, or rather, more politically correct, communities. They came into being at the end of the 19th century, when soldiers who fought in the war against Paraguay came home with nowhere to live, and began to inhabit the hills of Rio de Janeiro. The abolition of slavery accelerated their growth, and today, they are home to a large part of the population.
There have been various attempts by the state to regain control of or abolish the favelas, but these have proven unsuccessful. To expand on that would go too far here, there are many factors at play, but it is sufficient to say that the people who live there are important, cheap workers for the richer neighborhoods, and the crime that happens there feeds into a deeply ingrained, self sustaining system within the state that fights said crime, thereby also creating and maintaining jobs. Basically, any effort to get rid of favelas only makes them stronger, and lacks political will.
The parts under state control are informally called "asphalt". The problem, however, is that the government struggles to guarantee safety in these areas, just as in other big cities worldwide.
The situation in Rio is more complicated because, due to areas with no state influence, crime can grow undisturbed, and the favelas provide a safe haven for criminals. It is exacerbated by the vast wealth disparity in Rio, or rather, Brazil.
Because of limited funding, the police are mostly deployed in the rich areas, like the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, where you will probably stay for most of your visit, whereas the North Zone sees significantly less policing and, therefore, more crime. The vast majority of favelas are also located in the North Zone. To further complicate things, they are controlled by different criminal organizations that frequently fight each other to expand their power, and this is where most of the ugly imagery of violence in Rio comes from.
Also, the criminal groups in Rio are ridiculously well armed, with access to literal weapons of war. It is not uncommon to see videos of some 15 year old kid shooting missiles at a police helicopter, or day long shootouts with heavy machine guns.
As you can imagine, those suffering most from this violence are the working class people who live in these areas, and fear being struck by stray bullets. There is even an app that alters about ongoing shootings, so people can avoid the area on their way to work. You, as a tourist, will have no contact with this type of problem.
I forgot to mention that, mostly in the newer East part of Rio, another split happened, leading to yet another divide in the city. Basically, due to the lack of public safety in these areas, a militia of former and current policemen, firefighters, and civilians took matters into their own hands, and began patrolling the streets to protect the area from take-ver attempts by drug gangs.
Only over time, these militia groups began to act exactly like the criminal groups, extorting businesses for protection, selling overpriced energy and gas to residents, and in some cases even selling drugs themselves. So now, you have state controlled areas (South Zone), gang ruled favelas (largely in the North Zone), and militia ruled areas in the East Zone, with everyone at-war with each other.
Another factor contributing to the flourishing of crime in state-controlled areas is the leniency criminals benefit from in the justice system. Oftentimes, the police catch criminals, who are then released on bail by a judge. Many violent crimes are committed by minors, who cannot be tried or sentenced as adults here, no matter how heinous the crime. But even for adults, there is no life-in-prison sentence in Brazil; only recently, a violent gang leader got out because his wife had cancer, and he was already elderly
Every Christmas, a large part of imprisoned criminals are allowed to go home for a week, with many not returning afterward.
Or, another example, the other week a gang leader in a dangerous favela was killed during a police operation, and this guy had no less than 200 criminal records already. Imagine, 200 times some judge allowed him back into the community.
For this reason, state controlled areas are so dangerous, the state has no real control, and criminals roam relatively undisturbed, hunting for prey. While the high presence of police in the rich areas acts as a deterrent, it does not address the roots of the problem, and therefore, cannot resolve public security issues. Though I must say, the new administration announced a budget of several hundred million BRL to fight crime, and when looking at the statistics, things have improved over the last decades, so there is hope. For now, however, it is important to be aware and adapt to the situation, which will allow you to enjoy a safe and happy holiday.
But I actually wanted to tell you why, the area where you live is so safe. First of all, the penthouse is not really located inside the favela. It shares one entrance, and the formal address Vidigal, but it is not on the favela hill. Regardless, the favela is close by, offers various points of interest for tourists, and might be fun to explore. So here I am explaining the dynamics in this favela, specifically, which also affect the penthouse area, as the outskirts of the community.
Vidigal, and some other favelas in the South Zone, are in a unique situation, where they serve as distribution hubs for drugs, destined for the rich people, and tourists in the South Zone. As you can imagine, there is a lot of money to be made, so these places do not need other sources of income, such as robberies commited outside the favelas (FYI, robberies hardly ever happen inside a favela, becasue the ruling gang relies on the support of the residents, and will of course not rob them, but quite the opposite, they spend money for the benefit of the residents, for example paying for the famous Bailes - dance parties, or giving presents to the children. They also provide security inside the favela, so thsi wis why there is no risk of suffering from an assault inside a favela. On the other hand, the gangs are known to lend their weapons to criminla s to commit robberies outside the favelas, or even themselves participate in such actions.)
When pacification happened, and the police moved into the favelas in Vidigal, they actually managed to stay and coexist with the drug traffickers. Because of the absence of other crimes, there was less public pressure to abolish these groups, and instead, the police turned a blind eye to the drug trade, and perhaps actually profited from it, too. Of course I do not want to allege corruption here, although it is said they actually do earn the majority of the profit from these trades.
Over the years, they increasingly and subtly (without armed conflict) pushed back against the ruling gang, and today, we have a situation where the state actually has decent control over the area. There is waste management, illegally parked cars are removed, illegal constructions are not tolerated, and so on; all things extremely atypical in a classic favela, where there is virtually no governmental reach at all.
I briefly mentioned that robberies never happen inside the favela, and this is because the local gangs do not tolerate crime, and because they do not abide by the rule of law, which is often weakly enforced in state controlled areas, they have much more effective means of punishing crime. In other words, in a favela, there is zero tolerance for crime committed against residents, and it is enforced much more effectively than the state would. The biggest danger in a favela is a war with other gangs trying to take over, but in Vidigal, you do not have this problem, because the criminal gang is collaborating with the police, which essentially means all three forces I mentioned here, state controlled, gang controlled, militia controlled, combine into one.
Which makes it extremely unlikely that a takeover attempt would take place.
To summarize, you have 24/7 police presence, locally enforced laws that prohibit any kind of violence or theft, and a firm administration keeping unwanted people, homeless crack addicts, out effectively.
On top of that, Vidigal became a hot tourist attraction, starting with its famous and amazing Dois Irmãos Trail, with the best view of Rio, and sprawling from there, with Bar Laje viewpoint restaurant, Bar Abrão numerous events, and the latest addition, the great breakfast spot Café e Mar.
So, the residents are not only accepting, but also welcoming of tourists, and you will enjoy a special status there, and will be met with warmth and open arms.
Just be aware that you should not film off the main road; after all, it is not a zoo but a home to ordinary people. In fact, it is home to many artists, and you will find a lot of graffiti and wall murals all over the favela. But you also need to be aware that there are armed civilians selling drugs inside the favela. They pose no threat per se, as they are used to tourists and may even appreciate them, but at the end of the day it is still a situation where a potentially untrained person is in charge of a loaded firearm, which poses a risk by itself. You can largely avoid seeing armed people in Vidigal by sticking to the main road and not exploring the narrow side streets where the drug sales take place. A notable exception is at the entrance to the tourist spot Bar Laje, where the presence of the drug dealers has become somewhat of a tourist attraction itself. A telling story about the local favelas concerns tourists versus other favelas in the north zone: a Russian tourist tried to film the drug dealers, which is a big no-go. There is a video online; basically he went there with the camera turned on, the horrified drug dealers started shouting and demanded that he stop filming and delete the video, but he didn’t and ran away successfully. In any other place he would have been shot without hesitation. In fact, there are many sad stories about people entering a north-zone favela by mistake, mostly because their navigation system led them there, and being shot almost immediately when they tried to back off. This just goes to show how different these places are and that while you should striclty avoid enetering any favela in the north-zone, here in Vidigal you have nothing to fear.
click here to close the additional information
Now straight to the dangers that actually await you outside of Vidigal, and how to prevent them:
Here are the most important tipps, further below I go into more details about what type of situations you should be aware of.
Don't use any kind of expensive looking jewelry/watches.
Keep your phone in your pocket unless you are aware of your surroundings (it is fine to use on the beach etc to take photos but be aware of your surroundings, and don't walk around mindlessly with your phone in the hand).
Backup your phone data, or even better, leave it at home or bring a cheaper phone to use on the street.
If you are unlucky and fall victim to an assault/robbery attempt, do not resist. Give up your phone/belongings. They will want you to unlock your phone too. So best to not have bank account apps installed.
When you go out, don't bring anyone home (it is also not allowed/possible to bring unregistered visitors back to the apartment – for safety reasons). There are Motels all around where people meet for casual encounters – much safer.
Always watch your drink. When you go to Lapa, don't wander around the side streets. Regarding alcohol, there has been a methanol scandal recently, so only drink liquor from bottles that have been opened in front of you and are original.
Generally, it is always good to stay where there are many people, don't walk around empty streets (especially in the center / Copacabana. Leblon / Ipanema is less risky).
When you are out and about at night take an Uber/Taxi even for short distances...
Again, none of that applies to where you live and the surrounding area, there you can be completely relaxed. No robberies, no assaults, no thefts will happen here.
Theft
The most common threat to you as a tourist is theft. Basically, you walk around with your phone out to take pictures or look at directions; out of nowhere someone (often a kid) snatches your phone and runs away.
My advice is not to chase the thief. They work in groups and even if you do catch one, they most likely will already have passed the phone to someone else who has disappeared, or in the worst case you will have to deal with a group possibly armed with a knife or something.
You avoid this type of situation by paying attention to your surroundings and only using your phone when you are sure there is no one around. Even better, go into a shop or at least stand with your back against a wall while operating your phone. Also keep your bags close and closed, away from the road-facing side of your body.
Also, when you are relaxing on the beach you are at high risk for this too, including from some vendors. One will distract you while another snatches your bag or whatever you have.
When I go to the beach I bring a plastic bag, put my important belongings in it, and bury it in the sand.
There are also safes inside the postos if you want peace of mind.
Scams
This mostly happens in Copacabana, where someone approaches you to sell a service, like a temporary henna tattoo. When you say you do not want it they will insist on doing it for free, and when they finish they will act upset when you do not pay.
To be honest, I never encountered this in Leblon or Ipanema, but once I was in Copacabana and fell for it. I did not pay but it was an uncomfortable situation.
Also mainly in Copacabana, but possible anywhere, are overcharging scams where you receive a requested good or service but are severely overcharged. Slight overcharging is socially accepted here; there is even a saying, “for the gringo it is more expensive.” The word gringo is used for anyone who is not Brazilian and is not considered offensive here.
If you learn how to ask for the price in Portuguese it will make your life easier. I tried to include prices in the beach food section so you have an idea of what things should cost.
For protection against manipulated credit card machines, read the section at the end about payment safety.
Arresto
Alright, that is a bizarre one and slightly scary if you are unprepared. I believe there isn’t even an English word for this. Arresto is basically a bunch of people (kids and youths mainly), think 20 up to 100 if you are really unlucky, raiding an area, running in groups and grabbing everything they can get ahold of, including ripping your necklace.
This used to be fairly common on the beach some decades ago. Nowadays not so much, but it can still happen if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
One infamous area where it can still occur is at Aporador beach; in fact, it happened to me there. My Portuguese teacher later told me it is an area locals know to avoid on hot summer weekends around 5pm because the buses from the northern districts depart nearby, so youths scatter into that area and after a hot summer day with alcohol flowing and masses of people around things can get heated.
In my case I was asked for a cigarette when all of a sudden I was surrounded by youths who tried to reach into my pockets. I secured my belongings and ran away. When I returned to check what was happening they were doing the same to everyone around, and the police nearby did not do anything at first. They called for backup, who arrived with batons and dispersed the crowds.
Again, if you are in Leblon it is very unlikely to happen, but always be aware of groups of young people looking for trouble. When unsure you can always confirm with locals; if people are running away or agitated, it is most likely for a reason.
Assault
Boa noite Cinderella
