World Cup Brazil 2014 News Update: Crime in Rio de Janeiro Rises as FIFA's Main Event Nears
Rio de Janeiro is seeing a rise of muggings on buses, beaches and other popular tourist destinations, the Huffington Post said.
Buses are the main form of public transportation, and muggings on buses have doubled since last year. In January, more than 420 cases were reported. A year ago, the number was 195.
But the muggings aren't just limited to buses.
In the Copacabana neighborhood, the muggings rose about 60 percent in about a year.
Paulo Storani, a security expert, said that because of impunity, some cities that host the World Cup have seen a rise in crime.
"People do not recognize the authority of government officials, and as a result, criminals are more at ease to commit their crimes because they feel they will not be arrested or punished," he said.
Those who find themselves face to face with a thief are told to not resist. And lawmakers have suggested creating a specialized police battalion for buses. Luiz Fernando Pezao, the governor of Rio, is in favor of the move, but it's still not finalized.
In Rio, people are finding no change. So they have taken it upon themselves to set up a website called "Where I Was Robbed," so that they can help people avoid these locations. It tells them exactly where it happened and what the crime was.
There has also been problems of rape in Brazil.
Earlier this year, several men were detained for accosting women on buses and subways. The men sometimes filmed the women with their cell phones, which they then posted on social media sites. Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's first woman president, said that these acts brought "shame" to "our society."
"The risk of kidnappings and assaults inside a moving vehicle is huge," said Joe Biundini, president of security company FAM International.