Common street risks in Cabo Verde include pickpocketing, bag-snatching, burglary and robbery. Sexual assaults are less common but have been reported. Openly available sources do not provide reliably verified nationwide crime rates, so local conditions and recent information should be checked for the island and area concerned. Keep doors and windows locked, carry little cash, avoid conspicuous jewellery and keep bags and phones within sight. Avoid unlit or isolated routes at night, including remote beaches and poorly lit paths around Praia. At an ATM or bank, shield cash and remain alert. Do not physically resist a robbery. Use authorised taxis from a stand or arranged through accommodation; on Sal and Boa Vista, authorised taxis are blue and yellow. The Polícia Nacional (PN) can be reached free of charge on 132 for emergencies, reports and assistance. The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) handles serious or complex crime, drug offences, human trafficking, serious sexual offences and certain homicide cases. Its free contacts are 134 in Praia and 800 11 34 in Sal and São Vicente, with a 24-hour duty service. A report can be made in person or by telephone; the Ministério da Justiça also describes online reporting, but the PJ website was suspended during the latest check, so telephone or personal contact is the dependable fallback. The Ministério Público and PJ also receive criminal complaints. Organised crime includes cocaine transshipment through maritime routes, human trafficking as a source, transit and destination country, child sexual exploitation and labour trafficking. Sal and Boa Vista have particular concerns about child sexual exploitation. Praia has reported urban youth gangs, firearms known locally as boca-bedjo and drug trafficking. MDMA and other synthetic drugs occur in urban areas and tourist islands. Financial crime and money laundering risks affect tourism, real estate, fisheries and financial services. Cyber-dependent attacks have mainly affected public institutions and critical services. For gender-based violence, commonly abbreviated VBG, the free 132 line serves victims and witnesses. ICIEG provides the Centro de Apoio às Vítimas do VBG at 261 62 71, and its confidential free line 800 18 18 operates from 08:00 to 20:00 on working days. Support can include psychosocial and legal assistance. Emergency accommodation and the Fundo de Apoio à Vítima are being developed, while no single nationwide one-stop service for all victims has been verified. PN or PJ, municipal services, non-governmental organisations and legal assistance may therefore all be relevant. ICCA is Cabo Verde's nationwide public child-protection institution. Centros de Emergência Infantil provide psychological and social assistance together with family or foster-care support. The free and confidential Disque Denúncia line is 800 10 20. ICCA delegations cover Santo Antão, São Vicente including São Nicolau, Sal including Boa Vista, Fogo including Brava, and Santiago Norte and South including Maio. In Praia, Projeto Ami ê di Paz y Bô? works on prevention of urban violence and youth delinquency, vocational training, follow-up support and self-employment. CSIRT RTPE is the state incident-response service for government networks and critical infrastructure. It provides incident response, forensic support and vulnerability reporting 24 hours a day at +238 333 62 75 and csirt@gov.cv. Private individuals should preserve messages, files, payment records, device data and other evidence, then report to PN or PJ; no general nationwide civilian cybercrime hotline has been verified. Legal assistance is available to Cape Verdean and foreign applicants who can demonstrate insufficient means. Access can be arranged through the Ordem dos Advogados, a Câmara Municipal or an association. Typical documents include a BI or CNI, an atestado de pobreza and an income declaration. The application is submitted personally or by post to the competent tribunal, and the application itself is free; processing time is set by the institution. These crime-related services do not replace procedures for disasters, consumer disputes or detailed criminal-law analysis.
Crime in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde has a generally low overall crime situation, but pickpocketing, bag-snatching, burglary and muggings occur, especially in Praia, Sal and Boa Vista. Risk increases at night in unlit or isolated places, on remote beaches, around Praia hillside stairs, markets and festivals. Secure valuables, use authorised taxis and contact the Polícia Nacional or Polícia Judiciária when a crime or immediate danger occurs.
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