Safety in Cape Verde

Overwhelmingly, personal safety is the number one priority for tourists and visitors to any country. Cape Verde is a small, poor country (archipelago of islands). The primary population centers, Praia (the capital city) and Mindelo (second most densely populated) are not immune to the kind of criminality often found in large cities.

However, the levels of crime are not as high as one would find in much larger cities. But relative to Cape Verde, these two cities have relatively high levels of crime. Fortunately, most of the crime is petty theft and fraud. There is violence, but it would be rare that a tourist would be attacked with violent intent. But make no mistake, tourists are targets for petty thieves because visitors are presumed to carry money and expensive possessions on their persons. Thieves think you will not miss your belongings since you are much wealthier than they are and that you can easily replace your valuables when you return from whence you came. It's the unfortunate mentality in poor countries.

So, you must take common sense precautions that you would normally take ANYWHERE (in any country). For example, you should not walk around alone at night UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. You will have a very high likelihood of being robbed. They will take your wallets, hand bags, cell phones, cameras, jewelry, and anything else that can be sold for quick cash. If you do travel at night, take a LEGALLY MARKED taxi and ALWAYS make a note of the number of the taxi. It is written on the outside of the taxi. Ask the taxi driver their name and ask for a cellphone number too. Don't be shy. They want you to call them for a future fare. Write the name, phone number and taxi number down! You may leave something in a taxi. Calling the driver or being able to identify the taxi registration may be the only way to retrieve it.

Obviously, you should also avoid walking alone in deserted areas EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. You would only be inviting unnecessary trouble. If you are lost, ask a woman for help.

Assume that ANYTHING NOT NAILED DOWN will be stolen. I cannot tell you how many times people have had their bags, backpacks and other items rapidly stolen because the visitor put the items down and turned away for one second. Don't leave anything lying around unattended. Always keep your items attached to you (if you sit down to eat, place your bag between your legs, cellphones and cameras in your pockets and not on the table, etc.)

Crooks who want to take your valuables from you can be very clever. For example, they may work in pairs or even larger groups. One of the thieves will distract you with questions, friendly talk, etc while the accomplice moves in and pilfers your items that are not secured. It may be a while before you realize you've been had.

Avoid large crowds, or if you are looking to join in some local fun, leave your valuables in your hotel safe. Be very suspicious of locals who are trying to be excessively friendly even attempting to speak with you in your own language...they may have ulterior motives. You don't have to be unfriendly, but you also did not come here to make lifelong new friends (unless you actually did indeed come here on a more long-term basis). BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND WHO IS IN IT. Don't trust anyone, until they have EARNED your trust.

If you are attacked/robbed, BE CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESIST. They just want your stuff; they don't want to hurt you. Your valuables can be replaced. If you resist, you may be injured by punches or worse. Be calm and do take mental notes such as perpetrator's face, physical markings, color of hair, height/weight, type and color of clothing (especially footwear). Focus on ONLY ONE of the perpetrators so that you'll have a better chance at remembering the details. Most of the local crooks are known to the local police officers because they are repeat offenders, so the better you are able to describe these people to the authorities, the more likely they are to be caught before they are able to sell your belongings.

Perhaps another great step you can take is to install anti-theft software on your cell phones, especially the types that work via GPS. If you have an iPhone, make sure it is registered in the iCloud. If you have an Android phone, look into Avast anti-theft software or something equivalent. REGARDLESS of any GPS-driven, anti-theft software on your cellphones, be sure you have made a note of the IMEIs of your cell phones. These 15 digit numbers can be found underneath the battery of your cellphone. With the IMEI, the local phone operators can provide the police with the SIM card phone number that a thief or other recipient of your phone may be using inside the phone shortly after stealing it.

Upon your arrival in Cape Verde, take photographs of all of your valuables including photos of the Serial Numbers of valuables (you don't have to laboriously write these things down...a photo is quick and easy). Then upload all these photos to your account in the cloud (Google Drive for example). This kind of information will be valuable if you end up a victim of a robbery.

Do not flash cash while you are walking around. And most of all, do not hand out money to beggars. Many of these people are frauds playing on your sympathies, or often, they will deploy children to do their dirty work. Rest assured, no one is dying of starvation or poverty in Cape Verde! If you give money to anyone on the street, you are simply signalling to everyone that you don't mind parting with your money. Remember, you are not here to solve the country's poverty problem all by yourself. That's why there is a government here and social safety nets.

Finally, do not walk around with your passport. Leave it with the hotel's front desk or in your room safe. Take a picture of your passport ID page as well and save it in on your phone and in the cloud. You will have a lot easier time replacing a lost or stolen passport if you have an electronic image of it (easily printed or emailed). And if you are asked for ID, just show the photo of your passport page with your ID.

None of this is meant to scare you. But the unfortunate reality is that there are criminals here in Cape Verde who are eager to help you part with your valuables. Do not become an unwitting victim. If you use common sense measures, you will have a very enjoyable and safe visit to Cape Verde.

Christine wrote:

Hi,

We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Cape Verde?

How would you define the level of safety in the country?

Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear?

Do you think there is a high rate of criminality, social problems or tensions?

Share with us your insight on safety in Cape Verde and in the city you live in.

Thank you in advance,

Christine