2017 Update on Security in Medellín With Safety Tips for Expats
Security in Medellín is a major concern for expats planning to move to the city as well as for expats living in the city.
Several readers asked us to provide an update about security in Medellín in our 2016 Medellín Living reader survey results. So we are providing this article.
Even after living in the city for over six years, one thing that still comes up with my friends and family and coworkers in the U.S. is the security situation in Medellín. I still get asked questions like:
If I visit, will I get kidnapped? Will I get robbed? Is a taxi from the airport safe?
Talking about crime, safety and security in Medellín is a difficult subject so we will stick to some hard statistics and some tips. The perception of safety differs from one person to another based on a person’s experiences and perspective.
Medellín Living 2016 Reader Survey Results, N=243
Security in Medellín Perception Problem
Medellín still has a negative reputation to overcome. When the average American hears “Medellín”, his thoughts still tend to be the scenes in the popular Narcos series – drugs, widespread violence and Pablo Escobar.
Our Medellín Living reader survey results demonstrate this perception problem. Security is the biggest concern of expats considering moving to Medellín, as seen above. But security in Medellín drops to the number six concern for expats actually living in the city, as seen below.
Medellín Living 2016 Reader Survey Results, N=201
Once an expat starts living in Medellín, they come to realize that the current realty in the city is far removed from the time of Escobar and what is depicted in the Narcos series. Escobar died over 23 years ago and the city has achieved a remarkable turnaround.
Medellín Homicide Statistics, rate of homicides per 100,000 residents, Source: Medellín Medical Examiners Office
Homicide Statistics in Medellín
Nothing demonstrates this turnaround in the security in Medellín more than looking at the homicide rates in the city historically.
Back in the 1990s Medellín was known as the “murder capital of the world”. In 1991, Medellín had a homicide rate of 375 per 100,000 residents. That is over triple the current most dangerous city in the world: Caracas, Venezuela.
But over the past 25 years the homicide rate has dropped dramatically in the city. In 2015, Medellín achieved the lowest homicide rate seen in the city in over 40 years: 20.17 per 100,000 residents.
As a result, Medellín has dropped off of the list of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world based on homicide rates. However three cities in Colombia are still on this list: Palmira, Cali and Pereira.
Also four cities in the U.S. are on this 50 most dangerous cities list. St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit and New Orleans are on this list so all have higher homicides rates than Medellín.
In 2016, there were a total of 534 homicides reported in Medellín, which was up 7.9% compared to 2015. Organized crime groups in the city such as La Oficina and Los Urabeños reportedly are responsible for over half the homicides in the city.
But homicides in Medellín tend to be concentrated in certain neighborhoods and are not very common in some neighborhoods like El Poblado. So it’s worth looking at crime statistics by neighborhood in the city.
Medellín Crime Statistics by Comuna, Source: Medellín Secretary of Security
Crime Statistics by Neighborhood in Medellín
Last year the El Colombiano newspaper had an article the broke out reported crime statistics by comuna in Medellin. The newspaper article with full graphics can be seen here.
Robberies/thefts of people reported in Medellin between January 1 and May 14, 2016, were 13 percent less than the same period in the previous year. 49 percent of these robberies/thefts during the period were in El Centro. The second most common comuna for a robbery was Laureles followed by El Poblado.
If you normalize these counts by population – El Poblado and Laureles have a similar population of about 125,000 while El Centro has a lower population of about 85,000 but it also has many visitors during the day doing shopping.
The most common items stolen were cell phones, followed by money and clothes and jewelry.
In El Poblado, robberies/thefts totaled 220 during the reporting period, which was up 15% compared to the same period in 2015. This may be due to thieves targeting the wealthy area of Medellín and tourists in the area.
La Candelaria (El Centro) remains the most dangerous part of Medellin with the highest counts of robberies/thefts, motorcycle thefts, homicides and sexual offenses. That is why you will see an increased police presence in El Centro.
In terms of homicides, the highest counts during the period between January 1 and May 14, 2016 were found in La Candelaria with 28, Robledo with 21 and Castilla with 19. During this reporting period only 2 of the 171 homicides in Medellín were in El Poblado.
Unfortunately I haven’t yet seen an updated breakout of full-year 2016 crime statistics by neighborhood. Also Envigado and Sabaneta are not included as they are separate municipalities.
But in general the crime statistics I have seen reported in past years for Envigado and Sabaneta tend to be lower when adjusted for the size of the population than found in Medellín.
Foreigner Homicides in Medellín in 2016
Virtually every foreigner homicide in Medellín I have seen reported in the news in over six years was a result of something the foreigners did – typically resisting a robbery or they were involved in shady activities like drugs or prostitution.
There were at least five homicides of foreigners in Medellín in 2016. We’ll look at these in detail to demonstrate that foreigner homicides in the city tend to be the result of resisting robberies or being involved in shady activities.
- On June 4, Mexican national Jesús Estrada de La Rosa, aged 48, was shot dead in Belén when he reportedly tried to prevent the theft of a motorcycle in the Los Alpes barrio.
- June 15, Israeli Shay Azran, aged 37, was killed with a firearm near the Exito in Laureles. He was allegedly involved in drug and sex tourism according to news reports.
- June 16, Danish Tomas Willemoes, aged 41, was shot to the head in Provenza near Parque Lleras in El Poblado at about 9:30pm. News reports claim this was a murder for hire so it may have involved shady activities.
- September 29, the body of Australian Anthony Hasselback, aged 49, who was living in El Poblado was found along a road with two shots to the head in the municipality of Santo Domingo in Northeastern Antioquia. News reports claim he was involved in sex tourism.
- November 19, Ryo Izaki, a 22-year-old Japanese man was shot dead in Estadio on a Saturday at about 4pm after chasing a pair of suspects who had allegedly taken his mobile phone and tablet.
I saw an article in a newspaper while on a flight recently about additional foreigner homicides in December in Medellín. But unfortunately I didn’t keep the newspaper and can’t find an online news story about this.
So perhaps the article was retracted due to errors. Homicides of foreigners in Medellín tend to get substantial news coverage.
Also there were a number of foreigner deaths in Medellín in 2016 due to drug overdoses reported in the news.
Medellín Safety Tips
Medellin is safe to visit if you handle yourself properly and use common sense. We have a number of safety tips that should greatly reduce your risk of being a victim of crime in the city.
- Dress conservatively. Look to see how Colombians dress. If you have on shorts and flip-flops in Medellín you are broadcasting that you are a foreigner.
- Stay in groups at night. Don’t walk alone at night through unfamiliar areas. Take taxis at night.
- Never resist if you a robbery victim. Most thieves will have a gun or knife and will not hesitate to use them. It’s not worth risking your life for a few hundred dollars.
- Don’t leave your drink unattended. It only takes a second for someone to drop something like Scopolamine in your drink.
- Don’t flash cellphones, cameras or money. Don’t display expensive electronics in public places or wear fancy jewelry.
- Don’t use ATMs on the street – stick to ATMs in malls or grocery stores. And be conscious of who might be around.
- Be wary of motorcycles – whether in a taxi or walking down the street. Robberies by people on a motorcycle are common. Be especially cautious if you see two men on a motorcycle.
- Be particularly careful in El Centro. There have been ongoing security problems in chaotic El Centro, especially at night. Some parts of El Centro are magnets for the homeless, drug addicts and drunks and street crime is common. The highest reported crime rates in the city tend to be in El Centro.
- Don’t be fooled by El Poblado. It may appear to be safe but the statistics indicate that robberies are increasing in El Poblado, which may be due to thieves targeting tourists and the wealthy area of the city.
- Don’t partake in activities that are probably illegal in your home country (even if they are legal here). Participating in shady activities increases your likelihood of being a crime victim.
- Stay away from the poorest neighborhoods of the city like Popular, Santa Cruz, Manrique and 12 de Octubre. Like any big city, Medellín has several neighborhoods that are more dangerous and are not really places for foreigners.
- Keep a low profile so you don’t become a target. Be careful about displaying your money or valuables and don’t give out information about where you live or are staying to strangers.
My Experiences in Medellín
I have lived in Medellín for over six years. During this time I only experienced one negative incident. I traveled on the metro with a backpack and in the small pocket at the back of the backpack I had a small camera.
I was traveling on the metro during a busy time with passengers packed in fairly tightly. When I arrived at my destination, I realized that the camera was missing. Someone had taken the camera out of my backpack on the metro. And I didn’t notice when this happened.
After this experience I never put anything of value in the small pocket in my backpack. And I frequently use a lock on my backpack.
I have never encountered a security problem anywhere I have lived in the city (knock on wood). But I am also safety conscious and take care not to flash cellphones/cameras/money plus I take taxis at night. In addition I don’t go to certain parts of the city after dark. I even installed security doors in two apartments.
During my time living in the city I have met many other expats living in Medellín that haven’t experienced any crime. I also have met several expats that have experienced crime. For example, Dave, the founder of this website, was robbed during the day while in a Taxi in Belén.
The longer you stay in Medellín, the more likely you are to experience getting robbed at some point or another. But if you take the precautions as we recommend the possibility should be greatly diminished.
The Bottom Line
Medellín still has a bad reputation to overcome from decades ago. But the security in Medellín has improved dramatically over the past two decades.
Where you chose to live or stay in Medellín plus your activities and behaviors can have a major impact on your security in Medellín.
There is a famous and often-heard quote in Colombia that says “no dar papaya” (don’t give papaya), which essentially means don’t put yourself in a position where you become vulnerable to be taken advantage of.
If you follow our above tips and use common sense you are less likely to “dar papaya” and become a victim of crime.
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