Be careful in Bonaire (Burglaries)

[BHB ScubaTroll]

I hope this is a game changer for your island. The complacent attitude of petty crime has obviously come back to roost and you (or actually tourist ) have / are paying the price.

Locks, bars, security cameras, gates are all deterrents, not solutions. Mostly all they do is give false security. Solutions will only come when your authorities finally are forced to solve the problem through patrols, arrests and convictions.

I really do hope it's a game changer. But based on the complacent nature of your island and the continued attitude of don't ask/don't tell that is still trying to be kept alive, I will be pleasantly surprised if anything comes of it.

What I would like to know is what is the path to something happening? Does the island have a local presence of tourist industries with any clout to pressure the authorities? Based on how long the petty crime has been tolerated and pretty much joked about it doesn't appear local authorities in the past have had any desire to protect the reputation of the place.

What will be the factors that push local authorities to make significant changes?

Also, are there armed security guards on any of the properties in Bonaire? Are their gate guards?

Please understand Bonaire is not gypsyjim's island... Perhaps Staton Island is...

When you get to Bonaire (when we were there last) You receive a packet of information and you have the park orientation. Through the packet and the video (can't remember what was in which delivery) you get a whole briefing on how to stay safe.

Things like:

• Don't take anything in the vehicle you don't want to lose if you leave it there.
• Don't roll up the windows when you are parked and don't lock the doors. If you do there is a chance someone will break the windows
• Don't worry about tanks, they don't usually mess with scuba tanks
• Take notice of your surroundings when you arrive at the dive site. If you are not comfortable with the site, go to a different site.
• Do not leave any valuables or passports out in the open. Lock them in the safe
• Cameras and other equipment should be packed away in a safe place out of the open view
• At night travel in a small group and park in lighted areas
• When you leave your room, lock all doors and windows (as well as at night)

Is this a comprehensive list that will insure your safety? No.

But...
Other than the "windows down and car doors unlocked", these are pretty much vacation "do's" for every vacation.

Our group will be staying in a compound that offers a little (stress little) more security than a private residence or smaller villas. It's still a foreign country with an economy little better than a 3rd world country and deserves the respect we should give it just like any other vacation destination
====

As stated early on in this thread, the perpetrators of this crime (and many other crimes) are in custody and it appears they were a gang doing this in a number of locations. After that, the thread escalated because someone does not want to take that statement as true (There is no proof that it is false, nor is there an offer of proof that it is false. Someone just continues to state that it is false).

Yes, I have seen glass at a number of parking places to dive. Much of that glass is bottle glass similar to bottles a diver might drink before a dive and then discard (No, I am not saying it is all bottle glass, just that a number of the dive locations have broken bottles around instead of them being thrown in the trash container). If a truck door is unlocked and the windows are down who would raise the window in order to break it? (OK, some kids might... but, not a criminal who is attempting to grab and run quickly... it's too much trouble to do that)

It is not that we who dive and enjoy being there have become complacent, we simply understand that it is a foreign country with just above a 3rd world economy. Knowing this, we follow the rules to stay safe in that country (and on any vacation)...

It is true that following the rules does not always keep one safe, but it sure helps to lessen the possibility of not being safe.

I can't remember news from Bonaire that concerned tourists being injured or worse due to battery. I'm sure it has probably happened, but I am not aware of any 1st or 2nd hand knowledge of such a battery against tourists having occurred... There are very few vacation destinations that can say they haven't had battery against tourists (so, I am not going to say that it hasn't happened on Bonaire). What I will say is that this thread has been posted and the follow-up information indicates that a ring of burglars is awaiting trial for this crime and others on Bonaire. That is not complacency that is action

 

[DiverVince]

Well after reading 15 pages of this stuff; all I can say is we are returning to Bonaire in less than 2 weeks and my wife & I are both psyched. Somehow we never lose the thrill of returning to our favorite island.

Of course as some posters have pointed out; my opinions don't count on this board since I've only been traveling to Bonaire for some 25 years and on top of that I'm "obviously prejudiced" since I'm a property owner. Hey, go figure. Everyone here has their own mind set. Far be it for me to change anyone else's thinking! And as they say "to each his own".

To those with whom I've shared some PMs, look forward to meeting you. To others, Bonaire is a wonderful island and really isn't "Fort Apache; the Bronx" as some posters here make it out.

Everyone chooses their own path to follow. Choose wisely, be prudent, be practical and enjoy the underwater and above water scenery that island has to offer. Additionally the Bonaireans are some of the friendliest people in the Caribbean. It is for this reason, (notwithstanding some of the postings here made by folks who have very little real knowledge as to what's going on locally), Bonaire has one of the highest rates of return visitors of the many islands in the Carib. So my advice is to be guided accordingly.

 

[BDSC]

I'll look you up when I get there Vince! (Unless someone steals you first!)

 

[ScubaSteve]

I guess you can tell this really pisses me off.

And I find that rather humorous myself . Glad you took the time to share such valuable information .

Bonaire is not for everyone. Feel free to extricate yourself from this conversation that so obviously upsets you. Nobody needs that hassel. In fact, for health reasons, why not stay out of this forum altogether. I am just thinking of your health. The rest of us who are capable of carrying on a reasonably civil conversation (plus a couple of additional people that are only interested in spreading the same BS post in and post out) will stay and discuss an island that has a lot of discuss.

 

[gypsyjim]

We too will be returning to visit and dive Bonaire this June.

And it looks like next June also!!!

Am I concerned about crime? Of course. But until now so much talk of crime on SB has been by those blowing smoke, and having no real experience, while my own experience, and those of quite a few who have many more years of experience on the island, has been that there has been more than enough enough crime, mostly petty crime, and because of this some extra precaution has been warranted. But crime has never been as huge a problem as some who cry wolf constantly here on SB wished everyone to believe.

Moving forward to today:
Does this newer, recent escalation concern me? It sure does, and it has me asking questions and reading as much as I can find, but in no way is it remotely going to stop us from returning again and again to this beautiful island, based on what I am learning about the quick reaction of authorities! We will be careful, we will ask questions before and upon our arrival, we will be alert, but none of these are really any different than the precautions we take whenever and wherever we have traveled.

If anyone wishes to avoid the island and go elsewhere because of the crime issues, that is their choice, and no one should belittle them for making such a choice.

If, in order to drive home the point that the crimes have to be addressed much more aggressively, by letting the businesses on the island know you are going elsewhere, you also have that right. Even threat of boycott can be a powerful weapon, and if crime should continue to escalate, or not be quickly and publicly squashed, I am sure more groups will chose that route.

 

[pilot fish]

Things like:

Notice the list are all the things YOU should do but still no mention of what the police are doing on a daily basis? What this amounts to is security transference from police, who's job it really is, to the tourist?

Don't take anything in the vehicle you don't want to lose if you leave it there.
Don't roll up the windows when you are parked and don't lock the doors. If you do there is a chance someone will break the windows
Don't worry about tanks, they don't usually mess with scuba tanks
Take notice of your surroundings when you arrive at the dive site. If you are not comfortable with the site, go to a different site.

How could you be comfortable at any of the sites, after knowing what is going on?

Do not leave any valuables or passports out in the open. Lock them in the safe
Cameras and other equipment should be packed away in a safe place out of the open view
At night travel in a small group and park in lighted areas
When you leave your room, lock all doors and windows (as well as at night)

Yeah, but as you seen reported, the tourists ARE doing that, locking things away, not leaving things of values out in the open but locking them away in safes and the crooks are using crowbars to break into rooms and yanking safes out of the wall and stealing everythin,g including passports. How safe should that make the tourist diver feel? Sorry, that unacceptable.

 

[Docc]

Notice the list are all the things YOU should do but still no mention of what the police are doing on a daily basis? What this amounts to is security transference from police, who's job it really is, to the tourist?





How could you be comfortable at any of the sites, after knowing what is going on?





Yeah, but as you seen reported, the tourists ARE doing that, locking things away, not leaving things of values out in the open but locking them away in safes and the crooks are using crowbars to break into rooms and yanking safes out of the wall and stealing everythin,g including passports. How safe should that make the tourist diver feel? Sorry, that unacceptable.

I'll ask again.....when were you on Bonaire and what did you have stolen?

 

[ScubaSteve]

I'll ask again.....when were you on Bonaire and what did you have stolen?

I will answer based on his response from a different thread.......once (not sure when) and NOTHING!!!!! Who has an agenda?

 

[pilot fish]

Moving forward to today:
Does this newer, recent escalation concern me? It sure does, and it has me asking questions and reading as much as I can find, but in no way is it remotely going to stop us from returning again and again to this beautiful island, based on what I am learning about the quick reaction of authorities! We will be careful, we will ask questions before and upon our arrival, we will be alert, but none of these are really any different than the precautions we take whenever and wherever we have traveled.

But isn't that the type of hearsay you eschew? You're relying on rumor of them being apprehended, without any proof of that? How is that different then a friend telling me about how he was a victim of a serious crime on Bonaire? Why different rules?

If anyone wishes to avoid the island and go elsewhere because of the crime issues, that is their choice, and no one should belittle them for making such a choice.

Well, I think you've finally hit upon a solid solution. Only when the bottom line gets affected will any change take place on reducing Bonaire crime.

 

[gypsyjim]

I'll ask again.....when were you on Bonaire and what did you have stolen?

I will answer based on his response from a different thread.......once (not sure when) and NOTHING!!!!! Who has an agenda?

Quote:
Originally Posted by herman
"Just curious, how many times have you been to Bonaire?"

"Once. I stayed at the Divi F and witnessed no crime at all. I was totally unaware of it at the time. It was not till I left that I began to hear all these horror stories of crime, rip offs, buglary, car theft, stuff stolen out of cars, break-ins, etc from other divers. I heard it from too many divers not to believe there is a problem with crime there and that it is hushed by Bonaire Tourist board so as to not scare away divers."
(end quote)


The voice of experience.