Crime Tourism: A Benign Moniker for Such an Illicit Activity

“Crime tourism is on the rise,” one of our local news anchors said during a recent broadcast. “We’ll discuss where it’s happening and why after the break.”

That certainly piqued my interest and made me stick around through commercials. I’ve heard about all kinds of different types of tourism, from paranormal to sex, and definitely dark and disaster, but crime? Well, true crime tours, yes. But something told me that’s not what kind of tourism they meant.

It wasn’t. Nor was it about the even more unlikely scenario where people take a tour to witness crimes in progress. (Could you imagine? Then again, I never thought there’d be such a thing as rat tours either, so…)

South American Gangs and Crime Tourism

The Washington Post may have been one of the first to report on the phenomenon two years ago. But fast-forward to summer 2023. Probably because it makes for a pretty sensational headline and hits home (literally), it was suddenly a hot topic on many local news channels. (Especially ABC affiliates. It wasn’t exclusive to them, but I couldn’t help but notice how many came up in first page Google results for “crime tourism.”)

Anyway, Washinton Post reporter Justin Jouvenal’s Jan. 11, 2022, headline may have been the one that brought the story to the public consciousness. His story was about law enforcement’s efforts to crack an “international crime spree” that was targeting D.C.’s wealthy residents, particularly Asian and Middle Eastern ones. Their investigation into the phenomenon spanned years, and resulted in some pretty nifty and high-tech methods to finally track those “ghost” culprits down.

Ghost Burglars

The MO in many of these burglary cases is the same: a back door or window is smashed and residents return home to find “jewelry and luxury goods taken but expensive electronics left untouched.”

That’s what led Samuel Song, a lead Fairfax County detective interviewed for the Washington Post article, to describe the “perpetrators as ‘ghosts.'” (The FBI calls them “South American theft groups” since they predominantly come from Colombia and Chile.)

But how were the ghosts finding their targets, and why were they preying on certain ethnic groups?

Jouvenal explained, “Asian and Middle Eastern families were targeted because burglars believe they sometimes keep family wealth in gold and jewelry or have large amounts of money on hand because they may run businesses that rely on cash.”

The ghost burglars used the Internet to research their targets, then cased homes and waited for occupants to be away.

They’re not worried about setting off alarms. They just smash their way in, grab what they want and leave. In some cases, they use Wi-Fi jammers, which Worldstar explains “disrupt the wireless signals in areas, rendering security cameras, alarms, and smart home systems useless.”

A Nationwide Epidemic

Crime tourism may account for dozens of similar burglaries in one area. Take Nashville, for instance. The report on the incidents happening here was to families in the most affluent areas—regardless of how high-tech their home security was.

However, that could be just one group from one cell working around the country. There are hundreds of burglaries taking place around the U.S.

But here’s the catch. While the threat from such criminal activity is high, the law is more on their side than the victims. As Jouvenal reported, “Bail for nonviolent property offenses is often low, so an arrested burglar often quickly gets bond and skips town for the next job.”

Plus, he also pointed out “they attract less attention at a time when U.S. authorities are contending with a rise in homicides.”

Preventing Crime Tourism

It’s very disheartening to hear that even the best security systems don’t deter such criminals. Law enforcement says there are still ways to make it hard on them, though.

Home alarms are still a good idea, as is making sure cameras are operating properly. Not all burglars disable them.

Another thing is to be cautious about what you post on social media. Don’t tag your locations and wait to post vacation photos until you’re back home.

Motion-activated lights or lights that are on timers can also provide some deterrence.

Don’t hide valuables or safes in common areas. Some of the most common are drawers and closets, the refrigerator, under the bed or mattress, in decorative vases and pots (which is why many get smashed during robberies), and in toilet tanks. The safest places are concealed in walls or floorboards.

If you can afford it, you could always upgrade your glass windows to an unbreakable variety. There’s also protective film you can adhere to your existing glass to make it shatterproof.

As far as doors being kicked in, Bob Villa offers eight ways to secure a door, including replacing your existing one with a sturdier door, upgrading the deadbolt strike plate, and securing the door’s hinges.

Check-In

Do you think crime tourism is as lousy a name as “revenge travel” was following the pandemic?