Article lists Bonaire in the top 5 safest (from murder) Caribbean islands

[KathyV]

The article at the link below looks at the ratio of murders to population and lists Bonaire as 4 out of the 5 safest Caribbean islands to visit. Caribbean Crime Statistics - Murder, Crime Rates

It is great to know that the murder rates are so low, but I have been going to Bonaire for many years and theft has always been an issue of concern.

We've traveled all over the island and I've never felt threatened or been robbed in Bonaire but I know people who have; including a couple who's hotel room was rifled and a valuable ring stolen among other items.

We were once robbed in the Cozumel airport (pickpocket took the wallet out of my purse) but I realize that theft happens in every airport around the world, including my home airport.

I don't know if theft actually occurs more frequently in Bonaire or if it is just talked about more often, does anyone have actual, reliable statistics? Are these crimes reliably reported?

I remember the first time we visited many years ago. The car rental agency handed us a "Club" and told us that we had to use it to lock the steering wheel whenever we left the car empty. He said that if the car was stolen and we hadn't taken this precaution we would be liable (I don't know if that is true). He also warned us to leave nothing of value in the car and to always leave it unlocked. He made an impression on us and we have always followed his advice wherever we travel (except about the club!)

My niece and her husband recently visited the Hawaiian islands and they left valuables hidden out of sight in the rental car while they went to look at a volcano. When they got back to the car the window had been smashed and an iphone and a camera had been stolen.

Wherever we travel we try to be cautious and so far we have been lucky (except for that incident in Cozumel!) but I keep reading reports about thefts in Bonaire and it feels like they are getting more frequent and the thieves are getting bolder (entering rooms while people are sleeping) but I don't know if that is really true or just talk.

We are thinking of traveling back to Bonaire next year, has anyone seen actual, comparative statistics of the non-violent crime rates in Bonaire adjusted per occupied population and compared to other Caribbean destinations?

That would answer finally provide a real answer to this endless argument!

 

[drbill]

I know it isn't the most common way of diving Bonaire, but as an old geezer I used the dive boat at Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn for the majority of my dives and most of my shore dives were on the house reef. That way I was able to get to Klein Bonaire with some frequency, have easy peasy entries at remote sites and no one stole our dive boat

 

[djtimmy77]

please see all the other threads on this topic

 

[wwguy]

I've read this interesting article previously. Bonaire certainly has lower crime than many other Caribbean islands. According the factors discussed in this article, and those linked within it, this appears to be influenced by external government support (i.e. the island receives government, economic, and services support from a parent nation), low population, and relatively low tourism development.

A few things to consider when reading this article:

• The average murder rate in the US when this article was written was 4.2 people per 100,000 population, while the average rate in Caribbean countries was 30 people per 100,000. In the context of this article the word "safe" is a relative term.
• The article appears to be written using data from 2007 and 2008. Bonaire's government, taxation, and relationship with the Netherlands changed dramatically in October 2010 when it's status with the Netherlands changed. This significantly increased the cost of living on the island, affecting the poorest people the most.
• The "safe" islands listed in this article aren't necessarily ranked in numerical order as you stated. Rather they appear to be offered as "among the most secure in the Caribbean region". There's no data that supports ranking.
• As one of the linked article mentions "crime reports from some Caribbean nations fall under those of their parent nations, such as France or the Netherlands, and some nations may underreport or fail to report crime data." This will also make it hard to find the comparative data you're looking for.

Since October 2010 Bonaire has been a member of the BES islands, also know as the Dutch Caribbean, including Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. These islands are now governed as unique municipalities of the Netherlands and share a common police force with stations on each island. They also share a common judicial and penal system. Police reports are available online via the police department website. They're written in Dutch, so you may need help from Google Translate or similar to read them. Many Bonaire enthusiasts find it easier to follow English translations of these reports posted to Forum Bonaire Facebook page. (Bear in mind that Forum Bonaire has no government affiliation or obligation to translate and/or post these reports regularly.)

The only place I've been able to find occasional summarized crime statistics in in the Bonaire Reporter newspaper. They have a free online edition too.

Here's an example of some statistics reported in the January 27, 2014 issue of the Bonaire Reporter:

 

[wwguy]

please see all the other threads on this topic

If you guys don't like, then feel free not to read it. The topic is current, pertinent to visiting Bonaire, and in it's own thread for once.

 

[djtimmy77]

bumping your post count eh?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/491008-truck-crime.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bo...ds-curacao-bonaire-patrols-over-violence.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/488683-zhung-kong-robbed.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/490023-car-safety-other-non-diving-places.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/481778-rental-truck-not-vandalized.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/475936-bonaire-any-tips-dive-gear-security.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/321158-warning-bonaire-theft-warning.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bonaire/480760-rental-truck-vandalized.html

etc etc etc

 

[KathyV]

I've read this interesting article previously...

Thank you for this thoughtful, informative response!

 

[tangfish]

I wonder why places like Bonaire don't do more to stamp out crimes that hinder tourism, one of their main sources of income to the island.

Just get a few gringos to agree to use their truck as bait while they go diving. After a few stings things will start to improve.

 

[drrich2]

Petty theft, and to a lesser extent the potential for theft from hotel rooms & such, is the main crime issue usually discussed with Bonaire. The traditional response is to leave nothing of value in your parked rental truck & leave the windows down and doors unlocked while diving, and it may be safest for your property to stay at a dive resort than rent a private residence (though that's speculative).

This works quite well for large numbers of dive tourists. Criticisms are been made:

1.) It's wrong and they shouldn't be allowed to steal.

2.) I should be able to lock my door, leave the windows up, leave a cooler of food & drinks & a change of clothes and my wallet and a camera etc…in the truck while diving, with minuscule risk of a broken window and theft during the dive.

3.) It discourages influx of tourist dollars.

The current practices regarding rental trucks are similar to our crime deterrent practices in the U.S., where we lock our homes when going out, and lock our cars with windows up when not in them. In a perfect world, these things would not be necessary. This is not a perfect world.

In regards to the Law of Unintended Consequences, if Bonaire did start cracking down on petty theft from rental trucks, I suspect more people would start leaving valuables in their trucks locked up creating additional incentive for thieves to rob them, and after getting robbed or hearing of such, they'd post about how bad crime in Bonaire is.

People wonder why Bonaire doesn't do more about theft from rental trucks. I imagine police wonder why people keep leaving stuff to steal in their trucks while they dive.

It's also been said serious crime has been on the upswing in Bonaire, and law enforcement is alleged to have been responding to that, so I think we're still waiting to see what the new equilibrium will be.

Richard.