Compared with all the goings on in Rio and São Paulo, PoA is a quiet place. I cannot deny though that it can be dangerous according to the place, time and situation.

The city centre at night is not a very safe place to be unless you stick around the southern end where the Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana Cultural Centre is, as lots of people hang around there, it's not dangerous. In fact the only reason why the centre is dangerous is because nobody goes out there, and nobody goes out there because...guess what? Yes, it's dangerous! A kind of viscious circle.

Even during the day you have to keep your wits about you in the city centre, DO NOT put bags, rucksacks or equipment on a table and turn your back for a moment, an urchin is most definately waiting for such an opportunity and will be off with your stuff before you can "Artful Dodger!" A friend of mine had his shopping bags whipped away (full of expensive cheeses and wines) when he put them down to make a quick phone call on a public phone (before the days of mobiles). I guess there was a cheese and wine party under the bridge that night. Another girl I know had her backpack swiped from a table in the Public Market, she ran screaming after the urchin much to the amusement of many a passer-by, the urchin opened up and emptied the bag on the run, stuff falling everywhere, she had to pause to pick it up and he got away with money and camera.

Morro Santana is a nice place to go for a great view of all the city, BUT again, I've heard so many stories of people getting mugged up there.

Obvious places NOT to go into are the favelas, and the shanty town areas, the biggest of these is Vila Cruzeiro, some of the buses run through this area so it's unavoidable, but by bus it's okay, just make sure you get off at the right stop that you want.