OSAC Encourages Travelers to Use This Report to Gain Baseline Knowledge of Security Conditions in Haiti
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Haiti 2020 Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Haiti. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Haiti country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private- sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Haiti at Level 4, indicating travelers should not travel to the country due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Port-au-Prince as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Crime statistics in Haiti are hard to verify. The lack of reliable data makes it difficult to compare the crime threat in Haiti with other countries in the region. Avoid comparisons of reported statistics. Traditional tourist-oriented crimes (e.g. pickpocketing, purse snatching) are reported less frequently in Haiti than elsewhere in the region. This results from both a relative lack of tourism and underreporting. The most frequently reported crimes against U.S. citizens in Port-au-Prince are aggravated assaults and robberies that result in lost/stolen travel documents. A typical mugging in Port-au-Prince involves a group of young males riding motorcycles surrounding and overwhelming victims in a public area. Reports of robberies involving U.S. victims increase around holiday seasons, a time that correlates with an overall increase in visitor traffic. Armed robberies against motorists and pedestrians continue to increase. The Department of State’s travel advisory also warns of robberies of travelers arriving from the airport. American Citizens Services (ACS) received 105 reports of armed robberies, with 13 robberies occurring shortly after departing from the airport, in 2019. Banks are also a frequent location for armed robbery. Motorcycle-mounted assailants frequently follow their victims a short distance to rob them in a less public area. Shootings during these incidents are common. There has also been an increase of perpetrators following victims to their homes and rushing into their property as they open the gates to let in their vehicles. This method has become more frequent in airport robberies and thefts after visiting banks. 1 Residential theft (e.g. burglary, home invasion) trends over the past few years suggest a decline in traditional criminal burglary and a rise in home invasion, especially in the more affluent areas of upper Port-au-Prince. Most incidents occurred in middle-class neighborhoods (e.g. Delmas 75, Delmas 83, Laboul, Pelerin) outside the traditional expatriate residential areas, but there are now more reports coming from higher-end neighborhoods outside of Petionville. Assailants have little fear of resistance from residents, and do not appear to consider whether a resident is home. Criminals are not reluctant to use violence; however, the vast majority will brandish a firearm/weapon, fire it randomly in the air, tie up their victim(s), and abscond with currency or a vehicle. Criminals do not seem overly concerned with police response, as they know none will dispatch quickly. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Vehicle break-ins and thefts from vehicles, occupied or empty, occur frequently. Unattended vehicles with visible valuables are subject to break-ins. There are also reports of pedestrians opening unlocked doors of idling vehicles and snatching valuables. When driving through market areas, traffic congestion provides multiple opportunities for criminals to approach vehicles on foot. Violent crime appears predominantly gang and/or robbery-related. Gang-related violent crime had been centralized in specific areas of Port-au-Prince (e.g. Cité Soleil, Carrefour, Martissant), none of which are traditional tourist/business areas; however, criminal gangs have expanded or shifted their operations to more affluent areas visitors frequent (e.g. Petionville). Into the 2019 holiday period, there was a sharp increase in violent robberies where a small gang targeted vehicles stuck in traffic, especially those with lone female drivers. Review OSAC’s report, All That You Should Leave Behind. There are reports of gangs expanding operations outside of Port-au-Prince, leading to increased crime on major routes of travel. Smaller groups of criminals take advantage of social unrest and create barricades across roadways to extort anyone trying to pass. The Haitian National Police (HNP) has a limited ability to respond to this widespread phenomenon. Homicides continue to be a major concern. In 2019, there were 787 reported homicides, with 636 (81%) occurring in West Department, which includes Port-au-Prince. There were eight known U.S. citizen victims of murder. Gang-on-gang violence continues to increase. Cité Soleil remains a dangerous area for HNP forces. Other areas of concern include Belair, Carrefour, Fort National, Simon-Pelé, Martissant, Croix des Bouquets, Village de Dieu, and Grand Ravine. Outside of Port- au-Prince, demonstrations and crime occur frequently due to increased discontent over the lack of basic services and road repair. The end of 2019 brought with it a sharp increase in demonstrations in Les Cayes, Jacmel, Leogane, Miragoane, Montruis, Saint Mark, Gonaïves, Hinche, Mirebalais, Limbe, and Cap-Haïtien. Labadee, a port near Cap Haïtien in the north only accessible by cruise ship passengers, has private security and low rates of reported crime. Experts tend to agree that there is much less crime in the provinces than in the capital. Armed robberies are less common but do occur in the countryside, especially in conjunction with roadblocks and/or barricades. U.S. embassy employees may not visiting banks or use ATMs. Criminals often follow, attack, and rob ATM patrons soon after they withdraw money. If you must use an ATM, select one that is out of sight from the public (such as inside your hotel), and be cautious always. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. 2 Cybersecurity Issues Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Road conditions, particularly in Port-au-Prince, have deteriorated due to funding issues. Road conditions are occasionally the cause of protests, which in turn damage the roadways even more. Depending on the location and severity of protests, authorities may prioritize road repairs and provide limited relief in the affected area. Driving conditions are chaotic. Many roads outside of the main cities either are gravel or poorly maintained dirt roads. Driving requires extreme caution, particularly in the evening. Those lacking knowledge of Haitian roads and traffic customs should hire a driver through a tour company or hotel. Road safety remains a significant threat to the average visitor. Avoid travel at night outside of main cities due to poor lighting and unpredictable road conditions that may result in an increased risk of not seeing pedestrians, broken-down vehicles, and oncoming traffic. Vehicles, including large buses and trucks, travel at high rates of speed, especially on provincial roads, and often do not use lights for visibility at night. Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is common at night. If you are involved in an accident, do not expect medical or law enforcement assistance. There were 157 reported traffic fatalities for 2019. Detailed, accurate maps are not widely available. GPS-based systems do usually work accurately, but the lack of road signage makes it hard to determine the indicated route. In rural/mountainous areas, expect no guardrails, few traffic signs/road markings, and little/no vehicle or road lighting. Use caution when driving around bends, as it is common for vehicles coming from the other direction to pass slower vehicles, or for vehicles to drive in the middle of the road. People traveling outside of Port-au-Prince should do so during daylight hours and in tandem, due the security situation and road conditions. Accidents can draw angry, potentially violent crowds very quickly. If a mob forms, proceed directly to a safe place (e.g. police station) to resolve the situation. Remaining at the scene could be a safety risk. Take special care to avoid becoming stranded in remote regions or enter certain areas deemed unsafe, especially in Port-au-Prince. Avoid driving at night outside low-density, suburban areas. In the case of vehicular robbery (smash-and-grab) and carjacking, a group of street criminals (hiding in the grass or in ditches) often waits for vehicles to stop in traffic or at traffic lights. They rush the vehicle and attempt to open the vehicle doors. If all doors are locked and the driver fails to take immediate action, the group will attempt to break a window to access the vehicle and gain control violently. Newer tactics often involve shooting at the driver to disable him/her during the robbery attempt. Occurrences increase at night and in heavy rush hour traffic. A particularly targeted location is the area between Delmas 33 and the airport. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. 3 Public Transportation Conditions Avoid using local or public transportation. U.S. embassy policy prohibits the use of any public transportation for U.S.