Web Site Gathers Crime Stats in Guanacaste

“Which is worse in Costa Rica… the roads or the robberies?” So reads the first sentence on a new Web site dedicated to collecting data on thefts and robberies along the Pacific coast in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.

Mindy and Mic Grumb, the creators of the Gold Coast Crime Database (www.goldcoastcrime.com), are asking anyone from the area who has been a victim of a theft or robbery to submit his or her information to the site.

The Web page allows users to enter a long list of details about the robbery in different fields, such as location; whether the robbery was successful; whether weapons were used; what was stolen; whether police were notified and what their response time was, if any. All data collected will be used in summary form, the site reads, and no personal information will be shared with the public in any way.

“Facts about the number of crimes are hard to come by in Costa Rica as many go unreported. A difficult process to report crime, coupled with the inability of local police to even respond to crime calls is starting to shake the foundations of our communities,” reads the Web page. “By collecting data about thefts and robberies, we will build knowledge about crimes in our area and use the data to impact change through our local community associations and local governments.”