Crime in Oman

With the poll http://otheroman.blogspot.com/2010/03/poll-theft-in-muscat.html on OtherOman's blog documenting thefts (organized by date, location, manner of crime, and possibly the extent of what was taken) I have been thinking about what I have known about crime in Oman.

In a previous post I had noted that I had never seen an armed robbery in Oman, or a theft in progress. Not of any kind. But I had heard of break-ins (PDO expat homes especially in Ras al Hamra during vacation season---this even five years ago) and recently I had 600 rials taken from my home, and another 300 rials taken from a friend's car (too bad the money was mine). One of the robberies was in the MQ area, and the other, cuz it's my home, I'm not telling. I also know that alot of my Omani friends have had their CD players stolen out of their cars.

Yet they assure me, "OPNO, it is safe to leave your purse in the car." "With 250 rials + just sitting there, and my passport.....?" Yeah. "Well, at least the thief left my bazas."

Anyways... K, we forgive you.

Soooooooo.... I remember the expat circle in Ras Al Hamra discussing the crimes a few years back. Sometimes, ya know, it WAS actually the stereotypical, "the maid did it" but this is usually within the time frame where the maid was at the end of her contract and on the way back to her home country, so these cases are OBVIOUS. Plus, small things had gone missing, I mean, who else would wanna steal the crystals for my abayas????? As for the car break ins, and home break-ins, from my friends that are ROP and security, these aren't usually migrant worker crimes. That's all they'll ever say and get as close to saying, that maybe an Omani could have done it.

Quote from an unnamed law enforcement source: "Muslims aren't allowed to steal and Omanis are Muslims, right? But Muslim Omanis aren't supposed to drink and you can go to any bar or nightclub and see them in full dishdasha getting their party on. So the social issue is the same as in any country with high instances of crime. Low income, and unemployment, and a family case that cannot support all its familial members to the same standard of living."

And for the Omani families I've known who've had break-ins, it is always on a holiday like Eid.

LOL, I HAVE completely changed the grammar and spelling of the previous quote to protect the identity of the source, LOL.