Bonaire Burglar Stopped

[DiveMaven]

Just a correction.. I have heard of instances that even sun screen lotion was taken when left in the car.

Then I'll lay strong odds it was another diver who took it, not a local. We left sun screen, t-shirts, flip flops, water, and defogger routinely in our truck and not only was nothing taken, but nothing was touched either.

Even though you're trying to be funny, you start sounding a bit irrational about this when you post this kind of junk.

 

[rjsimp]

Since we don't have true crime figures from Bonaire since they don't really count many of the things we do as crimes, we can't know for sure. However, I would figure that at least all the shore divers have had their car gone through and if divers account for about 40% of the tourists, we can figure about 480 car breakins a week. That represents more than 3% of the whole population is exposed to crime every week in Bonaire. On an annual basis, we are looking at over 160% of the population and tourists are exposed to some crime in Bonaire.

rj....

I have to ask why you ASSUME that ALL dive tourists are broken into? and where did you get the average of 40% of our tourist are divers?

As for accuracy in "crime" statistics on Bonaire I can give you one resort's stats (mine)2007, and believe it or the person(s) responsible were found and procecuted in every instance where it was reported. (Note we did ask our guests for one year to provide us with info even if something as small as a water bottle taken, but did not report it to the police.)

We had over 2200 room nights filled in 2007. Average # of persons in room - 2. Percentage of divers 82%. (3,608 divers) Number of persons who had their window broken and something stolen, or something stolen with the windows down, even just a t-shirt (we actually track these). EIGHT (this is based on 2 divers per room).

This comes out to a ratio of theft to divers of way less then one percent!!!!!

I'm sorry but your idea of 480 car breakins is totally ridiculous.

If you feel the need to post how "dangerous" Bonaire is, it is your OPINION ONLY and if you wish to support your opinion you should REALLY do the correct research, and I would have been glad to aid you in this quest as I LIVE HERE. AND NOT POST WHAT YOU THINK THE FIGURES ARE.

I appreciate your opinion (which I personally think is wrong, but you are entitled), but when it comes to facts and figures, please only post ones that you can provide as accurate, not to ASSUME....

Liz

This is really a matter of definition of crime and break-ins. In my mind ANYONE going through my car is a break-in. It is well known that if you lock the car up, it will be broken into. If the car is left un-locked, it is "checked" which I call a crime because the person "checking" the car has no business in there.

Tell you what. If everyone there locked the car and rolled the windows up, would that help? Because I would bet your number would be significantly higher. Just because they were allowed to check for anything left in the car without breaking a window, doesn't make it better..

That is the problem with Bonaire, people there say okay; Leave the windows open and car unlocked, don't leave ANYTHING in the car, and don't leave anything in your hotel room out of the safe if it has any value. Follow those "rules" so we can say our crime rate is low. I'm sorry, but there is a problem with that way of thinking and it is not acceptable.

I got the 40% from the Bonaire tourism board based on their statistics. I got the actual number of tourists on the island from the same place. I extrapolated the numbers from there counting all the cars that are "checked" on a weekly basis which I consider a break-in or at the very least an invasion of privacy.

You can sugar coat it all you want, but the reality of it is, you and others are just sticking your head in the sand and trying to convince others that it is okay there and the crime is just a figmant of your imagination and bad press.

 

[rjsimp]

Then I'll lay strong odds it was another diver who took it, not a local. We left sun screen, t-shirts, flip flops, water, and defogger routinely in our truck and not only was nothing taken, but nothing was touched either.

Even though you're trying to be funny, you start sounding a bit irrational about this when you post this kind of junk.

I don't care who took it, still a theft.. and I don't believe it is irrational to expect a certain level of privacy and security when you visit someplace. If you can't expect that, what's the point..

 

[del_mo]

Let's see, some think it's crazy to "invite" burglers into their trucks by leaving the windows down and the doors unlocked. Hmmmm. You can always do without the truck and just dive out of the resort you are staying at, assuming it is on the water.

Better yet, if you think it's too dangerous to go to Bonaire, don't go. Those of us who continue to go will accept "government sponsored crime" and will continue to love every minute of it.

 

[rjsimp]

You've lost sight of the OP.. the hotels aren't safe either..

What's next? Travel to Iran? Oh, I know that is extreme, but where do we as people draw the line? Apparently it depends on if it infringes on our dive location possibilities..

The OP had a pretty serious crime against them and the only thing that happened was 1 night in jail? Just a sad statment on our willingness to comprimise if we have to give up something we like..

Have fun!

 

[socaldiver]

I was going to comeback with some response to statements made by people who have no clue what Bonaire is really like but it isn't worth it.

You just stay in your little safe world - crime free Texas - and those that know what the island is all about will continue to frolic in the awesome waters becoming martyrs so that all the criminals stay in Bonaire making your life so much better with no crime.

 

[Martha]

I don't care who took it, still a theft.. and I don't believe it is irrational to expect a certain level of privacy and security when you visit someplace. If you can't expect that, what's the point..

I guess you better stay locked up tight in your house then, because unfortunately, crime happens everywhere.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Are we even still on topic? I have personally been one to counter RJSIMP's arguments on this thread however I do have to agree with him on a couple points. I have argued very hard on other threads with people who refused to accept that people talked about crime on Bonaire. That is annoying.

Bonaire is the only vacation spot which I have ever encountered that was digitally protected. There are many people who spout off as soon as anybody says anything bad about Bonaire and they argue that it is not true. I think that is what makes people mad and that the police do not outwardly appear to do a whole lot to prevent such crimes. Now, nobody on this board knows what the police truly do or do not do on the island (except maybe the locals). All we can do is speculate. But that is annoying when the perception is that the police (and therefore the government) do not care.

Crime does happen everywhere. Crime does happen on Bonaire. And the crime on Bonaire can be bad. At home here in Canada, I lock my cars with the windows up every time I leave the car. However, I do not completely empty it in fear of it getting broken into. I will never say that Bonaire's crime is anything less than it is here at home. The reality is, we just have to deal with it differently. What is really bad, is when people deny the crime. It happens, that is life.

As with any vacation spot, we need to factor in the economics of the location and the standard of living for the locals. We also need to factor in the conditions under which (in this case) the vehicles are left and that none of them have alarms of any sort. They are very often, left in remote areas of the island where there is not heavy people traffic so there is a low risk of getting seen. Then, the "owners" of the vehicles disappear beneath the surface for 45-60 minutes. Add this into the mix in any area of the world, and any criminal will jump at the opportunity. On top of this, if you have been to Bonaire once, you will know that it is not a rick island. The locals do not live a life of prosperity and all the "toys" they could ever want. We, the tourists, travel there and leave our vehicles in very remote areas and if there is anything of value in there.....the temptation becomes too great for the common criminal.

I only reference vehicular crimes because I believe they are the most common (perhaps Liz could chime in here and confirm this). Further to this, I have been to the island twice and fully plan on going back someday. I do not believe that the island is filled with criminals. It is, just like anywhere, a couple of bad seeds which represent the criminal population. It is not the "average individual" that is walking along and performing the crime. It is the criminals and I do not believe there is that many (not unlike at home).

The key word above is criminal because it is only the criminals that we are discussing on this thread....not the average island inhabitant. DO NOT mix the two up because they are very different.

 

[H20Bubbles]

That was in Aruba, not Bonaire..

Yes, thank you. I am aware of what island it occurred on. What I didn't understand from this thread that it was a different woman that was being referred to from an incident on Bonaire. I retract my question and ask for forgiveness from offending everyone.

 

[DandyDon]

Yes, thank you. I am aware of what island it occurred on. What I didn't understand from this thread that it was a different woman that was being referred to from an incident on Bonaire. I retract my question and ask for forgiveness from offending everyone.

That's kind of you but unnecessary I think.

Both sad losses. I suppose the young ladies may have been overly confident in the fact that violent crimes are rare on the ABCs, but I won't go on here about that.

Petty crimes and burglaries can happen anywhere, of course - and prudent cautions are wise when traveling. I think we have really hashed this discussion well. It does seem that car burglaries are a bit more common on this island than most of the other Caribbean islands and the mainland* and some of that is because of the remote shore diving so enjoyed there, even more common than Puget Sound or California I suppose. It does seem like the tourists are not as protected from parking lot and motel room thefts as we are in many other locations where the tourists seem to be excepted so as to not discourage tourism business, but that could be part illusion from the discussion.

* There are exceptions of course, like Jamaica and others where I wouldn't dream of a remote shore dive without backup.