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Crime in Puerto Rico describes acts of violent and non-violent crime that take place within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
To combat crime, the Puerto Rican government adopted a broad anti-crime policy referred to locally as "mano dura contra el crimen" , "iron fist against crime". In 1993, Governor Pedro Rosselló summed up government efforts by remarking, "They have asked for war, and war they shall have. Let every criminal know: Our patience has ended". However, even after adopting the multiple anti-crime measures, violent crime stayed too high. In 2006, for instance, the island reported 736 murders.
In the early twenty-first century police corruption facilitated drug related crimes; it resulted in the arrest of over thirty Puerto Rico law enforcement agents. It came at a time when Puerto Rico ranked sixth worldwide in murders per capita. To counteract, federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration , coordinated efforts with the Puerto Rico Police Department and other local agencies. The increased law enforcement efforts and tactics and equipment used led to popular criticism about a fundamental militarization of the police in the island.