I’ve been wanting to create a post for a long time about the police here in Costa Rica. To begin with, I do understand, or have some idea, of how difficult it must be for them to do their jobs here. They have had the exact same amount of police officers for the last 20 years. That means there are the same amount of officers trying to serve the needs of over 2 million more people!

That being said, they still drive me crazy. I’ve been stopped with other drivers before who had to pay "chorizo" (bribes) to the police officers to not be in trouble for something they didn’t do. Let me explain. Say you have had one beer with dinner an hour ago. Then you get stopped. The police make you get out of the car and blow your breath across the front of your driver’s license into their nose. If they smell (or say they smell) any alcohol on you, they will threaten to arrest you and tow your car. You will automatically lose your license for 6 months.

But if you tell them you need your car for work and ask if there is any way to solve this problem with them directly, they will gladly accept your $20 and let you on your merry way.

When I first moved here, I always said that I would not participate in the corruption. But in situations such as these, how can you not? You are literally being entrapped. Your word against their word. It’s a tough one. And the only ones who win are the police. Because you then have 2 sets of "losers." One are the other drivers and pedestrians on the street who are in danger because a potentially drunk driver was let loose. The second are the innocent drivers who have to pay bribes to not be in trouble for something they didn’t do wrong!