Police Blotter

When I started traveling, and then when I chose to live abroad, a question I heard often was "Aren't you afraid?". My standard glib response was "I live in Baltimore. How scary can it be?" I have spent most of the past two years in mainland Southeast Asia and I can say in all honesty that I have never felt afraid. I know that sounds hopelessly naive. There have been times when I've been quite stupid, such as walking home from a nightclub at 4:30 a.m. I deserved to be robbed!

Phnom Penh has a reputation for being extremely dangerous. Even a few years ago this reputation was deserved. Now I would say it's actually less dangerous than most major cities. There are a lot of guns here, far more than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Seriously, there are no guns in Vietnam.

The news is peppered with accounts of often horrific violence. Violent crimes here tend to be crimes of passion committed by drunk people against people they know. Just like everywhere else.

Theft is common, whether by drive-by bag snatchers or pickpockets. I had my iPhone pickpocketed by two ladyboys. While I was sitting in a car! I am surprised, though, at how little violent crime there is against foreigners. Cambodia is quite poor. I have read that as much as 85 percent of the population here survives on less than a dollar a day. I make as much teaching one class as most people make here in a month.

I would not blame people here for robbing foreigners, quite frankly. I would get a bit frustrated if I was busting my butt working in a restaurant or garment factory or construction site then saw foreigners dropping more on one meal than I make in a month. If I were a local here I think it would bother me seeing young girls on the arms of fat, old foreigners.

I would, however, advise against visiting Cambodia if you are a witch.

The Police Blotter section of the Phnom Penh Post is a must-read for its morbid entertainment value.

Here is a recent update update:

Swords at 10 paces for nine lovestruck students
Nine students were detained after an argument “over love” devolved into a swordfight in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district on Sunday. Police said the students, all boys, were from three separate high schools, but that they were close friends. However, on the day in question, an argument erupted over girls, prompting the boys to unsheath the swords they happened to be carrying. When police arrived at the scene, the students stopped fighting among themselves and began kicking the police car. All nine were detained, and their parents were called in.

Man stabbed on way home from dance party
A 40-year-old man was stabbed to death after dancing at a party in Kampong Cham province on Sunday. Police said the victim was killed on his way home from a night of frivolities. The victim’s wife said they were walking along the road when a man came up and stabbed her husband with a knife before fleeing. Police believe the suspect is from the same village, but the wife said she could not make out his face.

Homeless woman may die after police neglect
A homeless mentally ill woman who was hit by a car in Kampong Speu province could perish because authorities are refusing to help her. A witness to the crash on Sunday said no one knew who the woman was, but that she always slept in front of houses and markets. The driver of the car immediately fled the scene. The witness said she had called police, but had received no response from officers. Now she fears the woman will die if no one helps her.

Hammer attack results in serious injuries
A 51-year-old woman was hit with a hammer and robbed while walking home in Kampot province’s Kampong Trach district on Sunday. Police said the victim was in serious condition, and they concluded that she was assaulted with a hammer after finding the tool covered in her blood at the crime scene. Her family said her necklace, phone and some money was missing. They have called on police to catch the suspect.

Officers on hunt after wine session gets nasty
Police are on the hunt for a man accused of beating his friend to death with a hammer during a drinking session in Siem Reap town on Sunday. Police said the two old friends were drinking wine at the suspect’s house when they began to argue. The suspect then allegedly grabbed a hammer and proceeded to hit his friend four times. The victim was sent to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival, while the suspect escaped. Police say they know the identity of the accused and “hope to catch him”.

Let's review, shall we? In one day there was not one but two stories of people getting beaten with hammers. A group of boys is in trouble for swordfighting. Every day there's a list of bizarre and often grotesquely violent crimes. In fact, this might be considered a slow day since there are no stories about someone getting hacked to death with a machete.

Sadly, a recurring theme in virtually every crime story is the inability or, more usually, the unwillingness of the police to do anything. More on that in a future post.