Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the local crime problem and also get statistics about the types of crime tar-
geted against tourists or resident Westerners. Many countries are conscious
about the impact that crimes against foreigners have to their local econ-
omy. These countries have government divisions that analyze the crimi-
nal threat to guests in their country and develop strategies to combat them.
In Thailand, for example, there is a branch of the police identified as the
Tourist Police. These officers are specially trained to handle crimes against
foreign nationals and are taught how to interact with foreigners who may
have been crime victims. Candidates for this unit must be well educated and
speak at least one language other than Thai, usually English. The unit also
publishes bulletins for the foreign national community describing common
types of local criminal behavior and ways to avoid being a victim. And since
Thailand is known as a great place to buy gold and gemstones, another
benefit that the Tourist Police provide is the enforcement of antifraud laws
to protect tourists from being cheated by unscrupulous jewelry merchants.
RESEARCH
The U.S. State Department website is a great resource to learn about the
crime situation in the country you are traveling to. Each embassy and con-
sulate also will be able to provide you with details about the numbers of
Americans victimized by crime in a particular country.
One issue that deserves special attention is the way crimes are pun-
ished in different countries. Often the potential for serious punishment
actually causes certain crimes to be carried out in a specific manner, rather
than being a deterrent to crime. Here in the United States, we experience
this phenomenon as well. For many years in New York state, for example,
there was no charge for capital or first-degree murder. The most serious
murder charge was murder in the second degree, punishable by 25 years
to life in prison. That penalty was not reserved only for murder. Armed
robbery was also punishable by 25 years to life in prison. Furthermore,
New York law provided for concurrent rather than consecutive sentencing
for crimes arising out of the same event. Think about that and you will
soon see the folly in the approach. Both murder and armed robbery have
the same punishment if someone is convicted. Therefore, if you commit
armed robbery, you are already subject to the maximum allowable sentence.
If you murder someone during the armed robbery, you get the same sen-
tence and, since the sentences run concurrently, no additional penalty is
meted out for a killing during the same robbery. What message does that
