A. Tickets purchased.
B. Valid (unexpired) passport and International Driver’s Permit in hand.
C. Overseas Crime Victim checklist reviewed.
No Plan C? Millions of Americans travel overseas each year. Relatively minor inconveniences (lost luggage, boarding delays, hotel accommodation screw-ups…) are generally viewed as part and parcel of the travel experience; becoming a victim of a crime in an unfamiliar environment is not. As we become a more mobile and global society, we need to familiarize ourselves with all facets of overseas travel, including the unpleasant possibility of falling victim to criminality.
Have a “Plan C” checklist (preferably written, among your important documents) prepared:
1. Know the contact information for the nearest U.S. embassies or consular agencies along your travel route. (Ensure the information is current.) Report the crime to the U.S. embassy or consulate. (Check with the State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs, for U.S. embassy listings worldwide. )
NOTE: U.S. embassy officials may help to replace a lost or stolen passport, facilitate communication with your family, liaison with local law enforcement agencies…, but consular officials cannot investigate crimes, provide legal advice or represent you in court, serve as official interpreters or translators, or pay legal or medical fees for you.
2. Report the incident to local police. Obtain a police report if possible.
3. Familiarize yourself with available victim assistance and compensation programs. All U.S. states have victim compensation assistance (from counseling, group therapy and sheltering aid) and compensation programs in operation, and nearly half of them offer benefits to victims of overseas crimes. Contact the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards for online information and and assistance/compensation application forms.
We’re optimists on the whole; information has prepared us to be such.
BNI Operatives: Street smart; web savvy.
As always, be safe.
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Filed under: General Information Tagged: | assistance, compensation, consulate, crime, crime victim, embassy, overseas, police, reporting, u.s. embassy, vacation, victim
