Be careful in Bonaire (Burglaries)

[BHB ScubaTroll]

I would assume that places like Buddy Dive and Capt Don's would be harder to burglarize. I didn't hear of any problems there. For example, I believe that Capt. Don's has a security guard there all night. I would feel more comfortable staying there. On the other hand, Capt. Don's is a little inconvenient for doing your own shore dives. You'd have to take all your gear down to the docks to wash it at the end of the day (that is where their lockers are).


I believe that the economy is by and large the main reason for the decline in tourism. Unfortunately, the resulting drop in Bonaire's economy is a catalyst for a rise in crime.

Thanks for responding...

Since I asked Messedup, please bear with me and answer these two questions.

Given you are the original poster and have offered additional items that should help vacationers stay safer while on Bonaire...

Will you vacation on Bonaire again? Why?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[ncchuck]

Waterskier you say you're cheap? Add up all the cost of going to Bonaire versus Fantasy Island or Reef House on Roatan. Both have shore diving as well as boat diving. No reason you can't do 5 dives a day or more at either place. You don't need a rental truck and you'll not have to worry about theft. You can take your phone, laptop and all the things you'd travel with to any other part of the world and you'll just take the same precautions you'd take at home or on other travel. No worries and the same price.

 

[Mossman]

Now isn't that interesting. Seems Roatan keeps statistics. Roatan also seem to catch these criminals. If you'll look at the very items listed in your post you'll find that none appear to be on innocent tourists just doing a day of diving. Anyone that's ever been there for any amount of time however knows that anyone caught or even suspected of bothering a tourist (not counting street begging) gets taken care of by the islanders themselves. They know the value of the tourist dollar. In addition, the vast majority of tourist stay within a specific resort area of Roatan and may possibly visit west end. Frankly, I've never seen a single incident reported in the Bay Island Forum by DIVERS and I believe this forum caters to divers.

Yeah, and murders aren't half as bad as getting stuff stolen from the rental truck Do you just show your C-card to the potential murderer and he leaves you alone?

How many foreigners were murdered in Bonaire this year or last, in comparison to the violent-crime-ridden island of Roatan?

 

[ncchuck]

Bonaire has a population of under 15000. Roatan has a population of 65000. Roatan has far more visitors than Bonaire. Roatan appears to have crime problems and no one denied that. They publish the stats so we know what we are dealing with. Show me the same stats for Bonaire. Oh, that's right we don't have any. How many murders on Bonaire. Oh that's right, we don't know that either. Look, I think there is probably more crime on Roatan than Bonaire but I don't know that. I also know that the violent crime on Roatan is always about property rights or people going places they don't belong.
Again I'll ask. Show me one post on any diver forum that shows a violent crime against a diver on Roatan. While your at it, show me all the reports of thefts from the resorts on Roatan. While your at it, show me all the reports of theft from vehicles on Roatan. While you are at it, show me all the breakins at resorts on Roatan on sleeping divers.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Last updated 2010-01-05

CRIME:Crime is endemic in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike.U.S. citizens have been the victims of a wide range of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, rape, assault, and property crimes.Sixty-two U.S. citizens have been murdered in Honduras since 1995; only twenty cases have been resolved.Four U.S citizens were murdered in Honduras in 2007, six in 2006, and ten in 2005.Kidnappings of U.S. citizens have occurred in Honduras, including two incidents in 2007.Poverty, gangs, and low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to a critical crime rate, including horrific acts of mass murder. With a total of 3,855 murders in 2007, and a population of approximately 7.3 million people, Honduras has one of the world’s highest per capita murder rates.

U.S. citizens are encouraged to follow local news reports and seek additional information in the resources listed above.Criminals and pickpockets also target visitors as they enter and depart airports and hotels, so visitors should consider carrying their passports and valuables in a concealed pouch. Two-man teams on medium-size motorcycles often target pedestrians for robbery.There have also been reports of armed robbers traveling in private cars targeting pedestrians on isolated streets.The Honduran government conducts occasional joint police /military patrols in major cities in an effort to reduce crime.Problems with the judicial process include corruption and an acute shortage of trained personnel, equipment, staff, and financial resources.The Honduran law enforcement authorities' ability to prevent, respond to, and investigate criminal incidents and prosecute criminals remains limited.Honduran police generally do not speak English.The government has established a special tourist police in the resort town of Tela and other popular tourist destinations, including Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Roatan, but the number deployed is small and coverage is limited.The San Pedro Sula area has seen occasional armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses, and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels, even sometimes targeting the road to Copan.Armed men have forced vehicles transporting tourists off the road and robbed the victims, occasionally assaulting the driver or passengers.In past years, several U.S. citizens have been murdered in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba shortly after arriving in the country. Assaults in these areas may be based on tips from sources at airport arrival areas, so visitors are strongly urged to exercise caution in discussing travel plans in public.

Copan, Roatan/Bay Islands, and other tourist destinations have a lower crime rate than other parts of the country, but thefts, break-ins, assaults, and murders do occur.Exercise particular caution walking on isolated beaches, especially at night.Coxen Hole on the island of Roatan should be avoided after dark.

Visitors Guide to Honduras (Roatan is not listed separately)

The above site is actually Home -- U.S. Commercial Service Your Global Business Partner

 

[pilot fish]

They just make concession after concessoin to the crooks, while the Bonaire police dwaddle around with thier thumbs up their snorkels. Yes, it blows me away as well. That's a vacation? I don't think so.

Let's interject a little reality check into this:

If this is the level of compromise you have to make at the place you are planning on going to vacation at...



... is this really the place you want to vacation at?

I mean, seriously?

This isn't missionary work where you are going someplace to help out somebody, this isn't work where you are going someplace to work. It's a vacation. You know, rest and relaxation?

This all started with the Rah Rah crowd saying, don't be a baby in regard to dive site petty thievery. Don't make more of this then it is, crime happens everywhere, you have more crime in your parking lots back home....

Then it went to room envasion... and the Rah Rah crowd was - hey, don't be a victim and a cry baby, travel with an electronic alarm wedge and stop your belly aching.

Now it goes to break ins while you are gone and ransacking the room including breaking into the safe and now we are arriving almost at the finish line with - hey, just give all your valuables to the hotel for safe keeping...

Insanity. Just blows me away.

 

[pilot fish]

They used crowbars to break into the rooms and then ransacked them and ripped the safes off the wall and broke into them. Does that answer your questions properly? Tell us, how do you prevent that, protect against that? Didn't you read the account in this thread? They were followed from the airport when they landed and robbed several hours later. hello? You call that a safe vacation site? hardly.

Absolutely!!!! - Have you been there? If not, don't be so quick to judge.



Work?? What work?? Is it work to leave the truck unlocked? Is it work to leave nothing you aren't diving with of value in the truck? Is it work to put valuables out of site in your room? If this is work, you'll likely not enjoy Bonaire, because shore diving is even more "work".


I asked but it has not been answered how many of these "envasions" and "ransacking" were actual "break-ins". The reason I ask is because I've talked to or read first hand accounts from people who's room was accessed without breaking in. Presumably, they perpetrators had a key. How they obtained the key is unknown. I do know that there was a problem with security guards entering rooms at Buddy's for no known reason.

Why anyone would want to leave valuables in a truck or, take $20K diamond rings on a vacation and not wear them, is beyond me. There really isn't anywhere on Bonaire where you need such things to impress people.

I take my cell phone and a laptop, along with a good "surface" camera to Bonaire. But I put them away, out of site if not in a safe, and have never had a problem. I don't take them with me on dives. It you need to check my email or messages so badly during the day, you can drive back to the room. It's rarely more than 20 minutes.

I would suggest that all the nay sayers travel to Bonaire and see for themselves. It really is much safer than most places you might live. Remember that it only takes 3-4 bad events (yes, it does happen) to allow those who have some agenda to inflate the whole experience.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

Travel.state.gov - Honduras

Travel.state.gov - Netherlands Antilles

You be the judge

 

[pilot fish]

It might be a shock to some of you but this thread is about Crime on Bonaire , not about Roatan. It's obvious you are trying to change the focus from Bonaire to Roatan, Bad try. It is truly astounding to see the lengths some posters will go to keep the Bonaire crime problem hidden in the dark.

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

My post above is in direct response to ncchuck's statements that Roatan is safer than Bonaire.

My post is a direct attempt to get this thread back on track to Bonaire crime. Since there was a comparison between Roatan and Bonaire crime, I have addressed that incorrect comparison.

We should now be able to get back to Bonaire and a comparison with any other Caribbean Island... now that we know where to look for the official US links for travelling abroad, there should be no more direct comparisons without having the official US governments statements.