Ecuador Security

One thing in particular that has interested me is the security in Ecuador. The crime rate is quite high due to the economic situation here. The average wage is about $200 per month, but the average rent is about $180 per month. This makes living very difficult and in order to survive some people have to resort to crime to supplement their income. Also, if you lose your job, there is no assistance from the government, so you have to do what ever you can to survive, including resorting to crime. This isn't to say that the people in Ecuador are bad people, in actuality they are fabulous people, it's just that they seem to have no other choice.

Due to this economic hardship, robberies are quite common. Of the students in the school, two have been robbed, and one other has come to school with stories about her host brothers and sisters getting robbed on at least three occasions. At the Cámara de Comercio de Quito concert, the president spoke about how 4 out of 10 businesses that belong to that organization have been robed. Due to the high incidence of theft, security guards are ever so present. Almost every store, restaurant and shopping mall has security guards. Some are even armed with military level weapons (especially at banks). You even have some security guards in the more affluent communities (like Susy's) to help deter theft.

One of the best examples of the security is Susy's house. She lives in a quiet and relatively safe neighbourhood, but it's more secure than Fort Knox. When I get off the bus I first walk past the security guard before unlocking the gate to Susy's house. On both sides of the gate are walls about 6' high with broken glass on top of the wall. Once through the gate I head to the door where I have two deadbolts, a sliding bar and a lock in the doorknob that need to be unlocked. Once you get inside you have to relock the two deadbolts, doorknob and slide another bar into the locked position and add the padlock. Then you have to go up the stairs and unlock another deadbolt which needs to be relocked on the other side along with a second sliding bar with a padlock. All of this for an apartment. You can only imagine what it's like at a bank.

All that being said, the security guards and locks are there to deter theft and the thieves are not violent. Most often they will swarm you to take your bag, or pick your pocket. If you hand it over, there are no problems. As long as you're smart you will be fine. For example, if someone looks suspicious, cross the street, and at all times avoid the areas that are known for robberies. In those places known for robberies (like the bus station) just pay extra attention to your stuff.