Any changes in security situation in Bonaire?

[mike_s]

This is pretty simple.

1.) yes there is theft. don't leave your crap out where it can be stolen.

2.) yes there is a lot of "denial of theft"

3.) we're not going to solve this on a scuba message board from 2,000 miles away.

If they really wanted to stop this theft, there are only 15,000 people on the island. It's not like they don't know who the "bad guys are". but no matter what we say, it doesn't make a hill of beans difference.

 

[DeputyDan]

And some of the theft "not all by any means" is from fellow divers as opposed to locals.

 

[scuba_drum]

Let me rephrase things, that last reply kinda sounded challenging or like I have some beef to air. I really don't. Sorry avlena, please don't blast me even though it sounds like I asked for it <grin>. I am just trying to make a point, wondering why everyone dances around this subject. I agree, non-descript suitcases, etc are a good idea - but it is still theft if someone takes them. jupitermaid clearly states that someone rifled thru her stuff in her truck... that is theft and my point. There clearly IS theft on Bonaire.

 

[avlena]

I don't think that by defending the "security situation" on Bonaire means we're saying it's completely free of theft, but rather it's a manageable minor nuisance that's not much higher then any other vacation spot or location. Of course there's some theft; I never said there wasn't. There's probably murder & rape on Bonaire too. Am I going to obsess about getting raped & murdered on the island, or anywhere else I visit? No, not really, but I'll take the appropriate precautions just in case, because it's possible, no matter how unlikely.

There's a poll floating around this board about whether or not you've personally experienced theft in Bonaire - the majority of people hadn't. In my personal experience, we left a number of items in our truck while diving, and we didn't have anything rifled or stolen. But it could have happened, and that's true whether I'm in Los Angeles or Bonaire. There's no such thing as a crime-free society, but I try to be rational about my fears and not let it ruin my vacation, or my life.

 

[scuba_drum]

I can agree with that... we are heading towards Bonaire for the first time in about 4 weeks, so we don't have any personal experience. We've been confused as to why people say their trucks have been rifled thru but there is no crime. Most people appear to not have any problem, which is great, but that is still crime. It is too bad that the local police do not do more about that, leaving things in a locked car/truck would be really nice... but then, I live in the greatest country in the world where that is common place, and I am leaving that bubble, now aren't I <grin>?

 

[scubachica]

We just returned from Bonaire and had zero problems with theft. We took the advice on these posts, leaving nothing valuable in the truck, which was kept unlocked. I dove with our licenses (they're waterproof), $$ (dried quickly) and keys in a BC pocket and left our inexpensive coverups, towel and flip flops in the car. Nothing was rifled through or taken, even though I fully expected to have something stolen based on comments by other posters. In fact, to my surprise, I hardly saw any non-divers (an obvious tourist once or twice; no loiterers), in the vicinity of the dive sites, even those that were more remote. It didn't feel like the "Wild West" I thought it was going to be in terms of theft with things stolen left and right, but then again, we didn't leave anything in the truck that we cared about so if something did get taken, no big deal.

 

[scuba_drum]

Great advice and will be heeded!

 

[mksmith713]

Ok, I keep reading that "i feel as safe as I do in the US" or "i don't leave valuables in my car at home"... that is BS, pure and simple. I can leave just about whatever I want in the US and if I lock my car I have a pretty good feeling that it'll be locked when I get back, with whatever I left in it intact.

Dude, where in the U.S. do you live?
Where I live...if I leave anything that even looks valuable in my car and it can be seen.....they'll bust out my window and steal it along with anything else that isn't nailed down.

I need to live where you live.........

 

[divematt]

This is pretty simple.

1.) yes there is theft. don't leave your crap out where it can be stolen.

2.) yes there is a lot of "denial of theft"

3.) we're not going to solve this on a scuba message board from 2,000 miles away.

If they really wanted to stop this theft, there are only 15,000 people on the island. It's not like they don't know who the "bad guys are". but no matter what we say, it doesn't make a hill of beans difference.

I think that IF they really know who's doing it, it's a shame that THEY don't do anything about it and they're as bad as the thieves.

I dived in dozens if not hundreds of places where I've left my duffel bag, extra dive gear, T-shirt, sandals, cooler of drinks and food, ball cap, towel, jacket, luggage, etc. in plain view locked in parking lots, dirt roads, sandy beaches, etc in this US of A, and never had any smashed in windows just because I chose to lock my possessions in my vehicle.

I've been to Bonaire once and here's what I saw.

At 1000 steps the ground on the sides of two different parking places were covered with fresh broken window glass. That's two vehicles that got broken into judging from the distance between them.

I had dinner at the outdoor Casablanca restaurant and watched a local walk by a woman eating dinner, reach over a railing, grab her purse off of her chair and run off. Everybody that saw it including the waitress stood up and screamed at him. The waitresses were screaming some word that means thief in their language. 15 seconds later, the male waiters or cooks ran out of the restaurant after him. 2 minutes later the police came and drove all over the place up and down the streets and asking questions.

If you look on the ground at some of the dive sites, you'll see broken glass.

Did I leave my doors locked-NO
Did I roll up my windows-NO
Did I have anything stolen-NO
Did I take the advice of everyone here-YES
Should I have to keep my truck unlocked, windows down, worry about where to put the stuff that I don't want to get wet, not take things to the dive site that I'd like to take but can't,-hell no!


But I'm not sure everyone reads Scubaboard, like the lady who lost her cash, credit cards, room key, car keys, wallet, and the other personal items in her purse that got ripped out her sight not a foot away.

That just made me sick and angry.

I have no idea if they ever caught the guy but that was blatant (in front of everybody) crime.

And that's just my 2 cents.

Matt

 

[salth2owannabe]

Scuba drum - In almost every one of your posts here you repeat that someone said there is no crime, I don't believe I read anyone saying there isn't any crime. Many of the posters, as well as myself say that the crime is a little over empahasized. I felt as safe in Bonaire as I do here in Idaho, which is not exactly the crime capital of the world. But in saying that, I don't leave any exposed valuables in my car most anywhere I park here. The best way to avoid being a victim of crime is to avoid putting yourself in a position to be a vicitm. That's what the folks are saying here.
While on Bonaire we did an evening dive at Ol' Blue towards the north. As we were entering the water a couple drove through the parking area that was obviously casing the vehicles. We had left the windows down with our clothes and dive bag in the back seat. Nothing was gone through, nothing was taken, but I never left anything there that I couldn't live without. We dried our dive items out on our patio in between dives but at night we always brought it in.
During the week we only saw the local law enforcement drive by a dive site one time on the south end of the island. It seems to me that it would be really easy to sit on a few dive sites, arrest a few folks, and the word gets out that stealing isn't tolerated. Even then I wouldn't leave a $500 camera on the seat and then wonder why the window was smashed and it was gone.
Be prepared not paranoid and don't let anyone ruin your trip.
Enjoy Bonaire!