
STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORY - Crime
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Crime - Notice
 June 29, 1992

The U.S. Department of State provides the following travel notice
for U.S. citizens traveling abroad.

When planning your trip abroad, take steps to protect yourself from
crime or theft.  Crimes against travelers are a growing problem
worldwide.  Tourists are particularly targeted by criminals because
they are usually carrying cash and are often easy to distract.  Any
traveler can become a victim of crimes such as pick-pocketings,
robberies, sexual assaults and muggings.  To keep yourself safe
while traveling, follo the same common-sense precautions you would
exercise at home:

-- Do not take valuable items on your trip.  Carry travelers checks
and major credit cards, not large amounts of cash.

-- Hide your valuables on your person.  Wrapping rubber bands
around your wallet makes it more difficult for a pickpocket to
remove.  Don't carry money or identification in a handbag; all too
often, thieves simply take the bag, sometimes breaking arms in the
process.  If possible, don't carry a handbag at all.

-- Before leaving, make a copy of the identification page of your
passport.  Take the copy with you on your trip, keeping it separate
from the passport itself.  While traveling, leave your passport and
any money you don't expect to need that day locked in a hotel safety
deposit box.  If local law does not require you to keep your
passport with you, carry only the photocopy of your passport when
you leave your hotel.

-- Find out which parts of town local inhabitants consider risky.
If you are out alone at night, stay in well-lit areas; don't use
short cuts or narrow alleys.

-- Be especially alert in crowds.  The most common sites for purse,
bag or camera snatching are the central train stations, crowded
shopping areas and places heavily frequented by tourists, such as on
public buses, trams and subways.

-- Thieves often strike when travelers are distracted.  A bag
casually left at one's feet or on a cart while checking a train
schedule or using a telephone is an easy target.  Money belts or
pouches worn on the outside of clothing or loosely hung around the
neck are easily cut or ripped off.  Wearing them on the outside
highlights where you keep all your valuables.

-- Travel with several passport size photos.  It can be hard to get
replacement photos on short notice if your passport is lost or
stolen.  Keep a record of your passport number, and the date and
place of issuance separate from the passport itself.

-- If driving, keep your car doors locked and suitcases out of
sight.

-- Don't leave valuables in parked cars. Thieves particularly
target rental cars and cars with out of town or foreign license
plates.

If you should fall victim to crime, remember that the U.S. Embassy
is there to help you.  Every embassy and consulate has a duty
officer on-call around the clock to assist in an emergency.  If you
need emergency medical care, the duty officer will try to help you
get in touch with a doctor or clinic.  If you lose your passport,
report the loss to the local police and go to the nearest U.S.
embassy or consulate on the next business day to apply for a new
one.  If you have a police report, photos and proof of
identification (or are accompanied by someone who can identify you),
a new passport can often be issued the same day.

The following pamphlets are published by the Department of State to
assist Americans traveling abroad.  Single copies of these
publications are available for $1.00 each from the Superintendent of
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.  20402.
Please send checks or money orders.

Your Trip Abroad
A Safe Trip Abroad
Travel Tips for Older Americans
Tips for Americans Residing Abroad

Tips for Travelers to the Caribbean
Tips for Travelers to Central and South America
Tips for Travelers to Eastern Europe (under revision)

Tips for Travelers to Mexico
Tips for Travelers to the Middle East and North Africa
Tips for Travelers to the People's Republic of China
Tips for Travelers to South Asia
Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa
Tips for Travelers to the USSR (under revision)

 No. 92-136

This travel advisory replaces the travel advisory dated May 22,
1991 with minor changes.


