Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Steve Jensen, General Manager of Teck Cominco Peru S.A. provided us with his company's list of safety measures which applies to his employees, workers but also to everyone living or traveling in Peru. We thought this is a great checklist for our readers to make your stay here in Peru a pleasant one. We will later create a pdf version of this protocoll and make it available for you on our Download page.



The following is an updated summary of protocols and procedures in place for the safety and security of Teck Cominco Peru S.A. personnel. Measures to ensure personal safety are a must and apply to both Peruvian nationals and expatriates. The protocols are mainly designed for the capital city of Lima, the population and crime center, but apply to other major cities in Peru and elsewhere in Latin America and around the world. The information and recommendations listed below come from many years of experience in Peru of myself, other workers and friends as well as recommendations from Control Risks Group (CRG).

Although the recommendations may seem extreme they are meant to be a comprehensive list of all possibilities and not an attempt to cause fear. Peru is a great country, chances are that your stay will go very well. Most of the safety tips involve common sense and can help prevent assaults and robberies. If one can avoid being an easy or obvious target, chances are nothing will happen.

Common crimes are:

1. “smash and grabs” - where the assailant smashes a vehicle's window when stopped at a traffic light or in a traffic jam and grabs a purse and/or demands valuables and flees (commonly during day on certain streets)
2. “street assault/mugging” - where assailant(s) demand money and valuables at knife/gun point (often 2-3 assailants involved)
3. “express kidnapping” or “secuestro al paso” where assailants kidnap victims for a short period with the purpose of having them take out their daily bank limit from ATM's – can happen in taxis, own vehicle and while walking. The frequency of the express kidnapping is on the rise.

On the positive side, most crime in Lima (and the rest of Peru) is for money and valuables and does not involve bodily harm as long as the victim does not resist.


A series of recommendations are included below. If implemented diligently, the different security risks can be significantly reduced. The list of protocols is divided into the following categories: a) Personal / Daily Routine, b) Residence, c) Driving / Vehicle Safety / Parking and d) Public Transportation.

PERSONAL / DAILY ROUTINE

• Avoid obvious indications of personal wealth and, if applicable, foreign status – avoid wearing and displaying expensive watches, jewelry or valuables and avoid wearing flashy clothes – dress down
• Play down your financial status and image
• Avoid the public limelight
• Avoid people who may themselves be a target
• Avoid obvious display of cash; limit the quantity carried
• Avoid carrying credit card slips of any kind
• Avoid carrying credit and bank cards – if possible avoid use of gold or platinum cards (including corporate cards) as they demonstrate personal wealth
• Make sure you know your credit / bank card PIN number – in case of quickie kidnapping involving bank machine
• Keep money in front pockets or money belt, do not carry wallet in back pocket
• Do carry some cash – in case of assault it is better to be able to provide some money and/or valuables to the assailant
• Avoid carrying any documents with home and family information such as addresses as well as family pictures
• Avoid carrying bank machine receipts which show bank account balance
• Offer no resistance and remain calm – do not fight back or struggle and do as assailants say
• Avoid the media
• Pay attention to and beware of anyone suspicious
• Avoid being out alone at night – especially women, use buddy system
• Avoid drinking beverages in a bar or discotheque alone, avoid leaving drink glass unattended as it could be spiked
• Avoid visiting bad or suspect areas, especially at night
• Avoid daily routines – easy for potential assailant to learn your movements
• Vary timing of arrival and departure on daily journeys and attendance at meetings, social or sporting activities – avoid routine
• Make use of available alternatives of building exits – avoid routine
• Always carry cell phone as it can be used in case of emergency – know emergency contact numbers (stored in phone memory)
• Always carry the local emergency telephone numbers from which reliable assistance will be available; also carry the appropriate coins or tokens to operate public telephones
• Use code names for house and family phone contacts speed dials (i.e. don’t have “casa” as a memory speed dial)
• Do not talk on cell phone while walking on the street
• Know self defense
• Avoid eye contact with strangers
• Don’t look like a lost tourist or a person paranoid – don’t stand out - be relaxed and blend into the surrounding
• Avoid contact (talking etc) with unknown persons who may show interest in you
• Avoid using bank machine at night (greater risk of assailant observing and waiting for person to leave machine with money)
• Use only bank machines that have security guard(s) or have indoor ATMs
• Use extra precaution when exiting parties, bars and discotheques – especially expatriates as they may be observed and waited on
• Avoid discussions that can be overheard in public places and which may attract attention and raise your profile
• Avoid conversing about future movements of oneself when in public place such as bar, restaurant and gas station as assailant may over hear and be waiting for that person – it is often a team situation when the waiter / gas attendant would tip the assailant of ones future movements
• Be extra careful of luxury establishments (i.e. restaurants) – assailants often case upscale establishments knowing persons utilizing such places have money and thus are good “targets”
• Women should be aware and careful when in shopping malls and exiting malls – assailant often cases person inside mall and follows them out to their vehicle to rob them
• Avoid having a high bank account balance – it is possible that bank employees inform assailants of your worth (based on balance) and thus make one a high ‘target”
• If you have a high bank account balance, do not have an ATM card for your account. Open a 2nd account with a US$2,000 or less balance and have an ATM card for this account only
• Don’t trust national police, often crooked or fake
• If necessary rely on and trust municipal police for help
• Consider changing accommodation if visit is long term - do not give advance warning of such change
• If necessary to change travel arrangements do so on short notice
• Identify the position of service staircases and elevators in your office, residence or hotel in case these are needed for use in an emergency
• Coordinate with your host, home office staff and family an appropriate and inconspicuous verbal and visual “stress” code for use, if necessary, to indicate that you are acting under duress when communicating in any way with them.

RESIDENCE

• Live in a good district of the city and safe apartment or house
• Make sure apartment has 24 hour guard at entrance and locked outer gate
• Avoid living on the bottom three floors of apartment building
• Make sure house secure – if possible have eight foot walls with electric fence on top, install alarm system (connected to security company), have strong door locks, change locks periodically, use intercom to communicate with visitors
• Know emergency contact numbers – including municipal police, doctor, hospital, appropriate embassy, fireman etc
• Don’t open door to strangers or vendors
• Don’t open door for service people unless a known and trusted person (assailants often pretend to be legitimate service persons– water, electricity etc)
• Don’t use dwelling address for personal (banking etc) correspondence as postal workers can (and do) open mail and may learn of one’s worth and possessions etc – better to use office address for correspondence
• Don’t let service people (phone, maintenance, water etc) into dwelling when alone (especially women) – make sure someone else is present (maid, friend, spouse)
• Be careful and alert when opening front door and garage door – assailant may be waiting outside dwelling for door to open and use opportunity to gain entrance
• Don’t respond or converse to unknown phone callers
• Be careful with house/apartment employees (maids, gardeners etc)

DRIVING / VEHICLE SAFETY / PARKING

• Avoid using same route if possible – avoid routine (to prevent assailant from learning your schedule) of route and timing
• When varying the routes of daily journeys, each route should follow main or principal roads well frequented by other vehicles and avoid known low-income districts and narrow secondary or back streets (especially at night)
• Identify the safe havens on routes used for local journeys before departure such as police posts
• Avoid driving at night if possible
• Install protective window covers (anti-impact laminations) installed in vehicles used in Lima – especially for women as they are principal targets of “smash and grab crime” (protective window cover/coating prevents window from being smashed)
• Install anti-theft protection for lights and mirrors etc
• Always have cell phone in vehicle – use for emergency calls if necessary – memorize and store in ones cell phone emergency contact numbers
• Don’t stop for anyone signaling you to stop – especially in Lima – if in doubt drive to nearest highly visible, public area (people commonly pretend to be police and rob them)
• If involved in a vehicle accident do not stop as the accident may have been contrived - drive on and make a report immediately to the organisation you are visiting or to the nearest police station
• Keep purses, brief cases, computers and other valuables in trunk and out of sight – may prevent smash and grab crime as nothing of value is recognized by potential assailant
• Have money hidden but keep some cash at hand in case of assault – some money to provide to assailants
• Avoid driving through tunnels at night
• Avoid parking in desolate or dark areas, especially at night
• Avoid carrying bank card and credit cards, especially at night (one common crime is the quickie kidnapping that involves car-jacking a person and make him withdraw daily limit from bank machine, more common in evening as person can be forced to withdraw daily limit over two days)
• Avoid driving luxury vehicles as they demonstrate wealth and are primary targets – one should drive an inconspicuous or common vehicle that does not attract attention
• Maintain vehicle doors locked and windows closed at all times
• Two vehicles travelling in convoy provide better protection than one vehicle alone
• When being collected by vehicle from a secure building remain inside until your vehicle arrives and it is safe to leave
• Be prepared to telephone ahead to a trusted person at your destination before departure on a journey - confirm safe arrival by telephoning back to a similar trusted person at your departure point
• Be aware and alert to events outside your car such as recognising if you are being followed
• Park vehicle in a protected area and as near to your destination and to building entrance as possible - reduce to a minimum the distance you have to walk in the open
• Vary the type of transport used every few days - make use of taxis, hire cars or private vehicles of reliable members of its staff known to you – avoid routine
• Keep your car in good condition and regularly serviced and at least quarter tank of gasoline
• Do not leave your vehicle unattended whilst being serviced
• Know where jack and spare wheel are located and how to change a wheel in the event of a puncture
• Always lock the vehicle, even in a secure garage or parking facility
• Do not leave documents in your car that may provide information to and assist potential attackers such as details of home or work address and phone numbers
• If you use valet parking lock documents in the glove box if you can not carry them on you
• Use a locking wheel nut and a lockable petrol cap
• Use a removable radio cassette/CD player if possible and store in glove box when parked
• If you have gold or platinum credit cards, ask your bank to give you a standard silver card with the same line credit as your gold/platinum card to maintain a low profile
• If you carry credit and bank cards make sure you memorize both card’s ATM pin number so if you are kidnapped (quickie kidnapping) the assailants will be able to get some money and release you quickly
• Make sure the car is locked and the car alarm is activated when you leave the vehicle
• Consider fitting an immobilizer or bar for locking the steering wheel – prevents vehicle from being stolen
• Lower your radio antenna when parked
• Before entering a vehicle left unattended and unprotected, visually inspect it if warranted by the local level of threat - it should be noted that physical inspection of a vehicle which is suspected of being fitted with an explosive device should only be carried out by a person suitably qualified
• Know your vehicle - if searching for an explosive device you should know what is in your car and what the underside of your vehicle should look like
• Look after your keys - keep them on your person at all times and do not give them to anyone you are unsure of
• When parking in daylight, try to picture what the area will look like at night. Park in a lighted area where possible
• Park as close as possible to your destination - if parking off road always reverse in
• Before leaving the vehicle check for any suspicious persons
• On returning to the vehicle check inside the vehicle before you get in and look out for suspicious persons - have your keys ready in your hand as fumbling in handbags or pockets can make you a target
• Lock the vehicle as soon as you are inside and start the engine so you can drive away immediately

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

• Use only known, secure radio taxis of reliable companies (especially women and foreign visitors that don’t know the country and language). Try and make you call your taxi yourself. A radio taxi taken on the street is even more dangerous as it can call another car to help intercept you
• Avoid taking a taxi alone if possible
• If using “street” taxi be aware of route, sit in back seat, lock doors and have windows rolled up
• It is preferable to use hired cars instead of taxis for personal and family transportation
• Order taxis at the latest possible moment before departure
• Don’t tell taxi where you are going – give just general directions – prevents taxi driver from phoning ahead to his possible co-kidnappers (driver contacts co-assailants who wait for you to arrive at destination)
• Don’t have street taxis stop at ones place of dwelling – it is better if the taxi doesn’t know where you live (especially expatriates)
• Try not to let your taxi driver make or receive phone calls or make radio calls
• Avoid giving any personal information to street taxi drivers – such as occupation and places frequented as they may perceive you have money and learn your routine
• Be very careful if using a street taxi when leaving a good restaurant or bar – they may be watching and waiting for you to leave
• Avoid using microbuses

August 21, 2006

tags : Peru safety measures public transportation society law justice expatriates vehicle residence guidelines

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3 Comments

# Tom Malloy says :
20 December, 2006 [ 09:43 ]

I took a street cab to San Juan De Miraflores in the middle of the night after a night of partying. I left my camara in the cab, the next morning the driver returned it to me!

# Andy Betos says :
29 September, 2007 [ 12:21 ]

One precaution which I encountered at the Lima airport that happened to another passenger. Have the taxi unload your baggage and make sure it is secure before paying. The taxi may drive off with your baggage, ticket, etc.

# Emily Nardella says :
3 September, 2008 [ 09:42 ]

I am a victim of a smash and grab. I was on Avenue de la Marina near the Mall San Miguel.  We were at a stoplight on the way to our hotel at midnight.  I was in the backseat and had just placed my bag on the seat to use as a pillow...when the window was smashed and my bag stolen.  In my bag was my debit card and drivers' license.  Stupidly, my atm pin was my birthday and so my robbers were easily able to access my account.  All is well as I was not hurt....but it was definitely traumatic. Our laptop was stolen from our room at the Bypass Hotel in Pueblo Libre and the robbers rifled through our luggage to take other electronic items...while our room was locked!  The hotel gave us a nicer, better room after that....but did not fire its employees (maid/young men who were moving beds etc)....we will not stay there again!

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