Q COSTA RICA — Between 2019 and 2026, police logs repeatedly added one name to their records, a familiar figure to law enforcement officers.
Every intervention, every arrest, was recorded. The 51-year-old Costa Rican man was stopped by police 388 times during that period, according to data from the Ministry of Public Security and as reported by Diario Extra.
The reason for each encounter varied. One day it was for carrying a bladed weapon; another, for transporting or possessing what appeared to be drugs. There were also reports of attempted theft, robbery, arrest warrants, violations of the Liquor Law, and drug use.
This year, in the Merced district alone, the police filed twenty-two reports against him: five for possession of a bladed weapon, two for violating the Liquor Law, and fifteen for drug possession.
The official documents detail each step: the officer identifies the man, approaches him, records the incident, and the process almost always ends the same way: he is released. For the police, the routine is repeated; for the system, the intervention is counted as a “pass.”
But the number, by itself, does not mean a conviction.
Lawyer Adrián Quesada clarifies: an arrest or police “pass” is only a record that the person was detained, identified, or investigated.
Quesada sums it up this way: “It doesn’t mean he’s guilty of a crime. In Costa Rica, no one can be detained simply for having a police record.” The judicial process, he reminds us, requires more: evidence, procedural risks, and a court order to justify pretrial detention.
Over the years, authorities have explained that most of these “misses” don’t lead to criminal charges. The Public Prosecutor’s Office indicates that these interventions can be due to minor situations, such as drinking alcohol in public, disturbing the peace, or possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use. Although each case is recorded, most don’t end up with the prosecutor’s office or generate a criminal record.
The frustration of police and citizens with recidivism
Repeat offenses have an impact that goes beyond statistics. Former Deputy Minister of Public Security, Walter Navarro, has described the frustration of police officers who, after arresting someone, see them soon return to the streets.
“The police arrest someone today, and the next day, or even hours later, they see them back on the street or committing another crime,” he commented. According to details from Diario Extra, this cycle also affects public trust and the perception of authority.
Navarro believes that recidivism requires a thorough review of the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to enable the system to provide a more effective response. Even so, lawyer Quesada insists that only evidence, procedural risks, and a court order can justify imprisonment.
The story of this man, recorded hundreds of times, is a reflection of how the law and everyday reality meet on the streets of Costa Rica.