Bonaire Crime - Our experience - Looking for input to share

[spacelev]

This. Obviously the thiefs in Bonaire have learned how to take advantage of opportunities. In Vancouver theft from vehicles is relatively minuscule, but go to any walk-in-campsite in the surrounding area (and there are hundreds) and you will see signs plastered all over the parking lot advising against leaving any valuables in your car and suggesting to leave your doors unlocked. The parking lots are often completely surrounded by trees, a few miles from any town and a few hundred feet from the actual campsites. Generally, campers have expensive gear and will leave SOMETHING in their car. This all adds up to it being the perfect robbery opportunity and the local low-lifes know that. However, it doesn't deter me from going camping where I want to go camping.

I don't really find it that weird that the rental car companies in Bonaire have told people to leave their doors unlocked as a result of high theft rates. I would be thankful for the suggestion. I've stayed at many accommodations in my life (from hostels to 5 star hotels) that will make you sign a waiver along the lines of "...any damage to drywall or furniture will result in a penalty of [insert ridiculous amount of money]." They're simply reacting to multiple bad situations in the past.

Obviously I understand the logic behind leaving your car door unlocked, but I don't think it's a good idea in most situations. If I left a $20 bill on my dash, I would think someone may try the door and if it's locked, their thought process would be to carry on. I doubt that most people would take it to the next level and smash the window. But, as Lorenzoid pointed out, places like Bonaire are a rare situation, where there's likely no one around to hear someone going through the window...

 

[spacelev]

We just returned from our Bonaire dive trip March 31, 2018 - April 8th 2018, On April 3rd my wife's birthday, we got robbed while we were out for dinner between 8 and 10:30 pm. The thieves broke into the house we were renting in Belnem on EEG, ocean side of the street. They took everything of value. Crying wife on her birthday is crashing. Very disappointed. Our vacation was ruined.

Very similar story as you describe:

My luggage was lost for 3 days and was rerouted from Huston to Amsterdam and then to Bonaire. We lost valuable diving vacation days and after it finally arrived we used it for 1 day and then we were robbed of everything we needed to make any snorkeling or diving. Local police was helpful in filing a detailed report , however it took another full day. It did not feel like our stuff would ever be recovered. Insurance might cover half of what was stolen. We had to pay for rental dive equipment which was also stolen. We were left with 3 days of vacation and tried to enjoy leftover of our vacation. We worked so hard to save for it and the loss was overwhelming. Local dive community lent us some of the equipment, so we can snorkel and dive , but just like you said now we are faced with weeks of filing claim with insurance and the rest we were suppose to enjoy is erased very quickly. We said that we will return to Bonaire , but now that we are back home , we will reevaluate that promise of returning to Bonaire. We came to Bonaire 3 times and this last time it did not feel safe or comfortable with not being able to have anything in the car or at the house we stayed at. You need everything with you underwater if you want it to be safe and that is just not right. I hope Bonaire goverment make some hard changes and clean up their island so that dive tourism prosper and bring more and not less business to the island's economy.

 

[KathyV]

...My luggage was lost for 3 days and was rerouted from Huston to Amsterdam and then to Bonaire. We lost valuable diving vacation days and after it finally arrived we used it for 1 day and then we were robbed of everything we needed to make any snorkeling or diving. Local police was helpful in filing a detailed report , however it took another full day. It did not feel like our stuff would ever be recovered. Insurance might cover half of what was stolen. We had to pay for rental dive equipment which was also stolen. We were left with 3 days of vacation and tried to enjoy leftover of our vacation. We worked so hard to save for it and the loss was overwhelming. Local dive community lent us some of the equipment, so we can snorkel and dive , but just like you said now we are faced with weeks of filing claim with insurance and the rest we were suppose to enjoy is erased very quickly. We said that we will return to Bonaire , but now that we are back home , we will reevaluate that promise of returning to Bonaire. We came to Bonaire 3 times and this last time it did not feel safe or comfortable with not being able to have anything in the car or at the house we stayed at. You need everything with you underwater if you want it to be safe and that is just not right. I hope Bonaire goverment make some hard changes and clean up their island so that dive tourism prosper and bring more and not less business to the island's economy.

How sad, I am very sorry that your trip was so disappointing. Where were you staying and where and when did these robberies happen?

 

[spacelev]

How sad, I am very sorry that your trip was so disappointing. Where were you staying and where and when did these robberies happen?

It was April 3 , 2018 staying at a very nice Airbnb house.

 

[KathyV]

It was April 3 , 2018 staying at a very nice Airbnb house.

It might be better to stay at a resort with lots of people and guards, or in a gated, guarded residential community. It's a sad thing to say, but it might be safer.

But I was asking for more details of the robberies. Where did they happen, was your gear stored at the dive op, or at your lodgings, or was stuff taken from your car? Did it happen at night or during daylight hours? How did the thieves get access to your gear, was your gear drying outside or did they break in?

What would you do differently, if anything, if you ever do decide to return? Knowing the details may help others to avoid the same bad experience.

 

[darook]

That is a total drag! I am sorry your vacation was ruined. I have been tempted by AirBnBs and VRBOs there but it seems that most if not all of the stories I hear of break ins are at those. We have always stayed at one of the resorts with no issue.

I hope you have good luck with your insurance company getting your stuff paid for.

 

[scubadada]

Very sad to hear this story. We stay at Den Laman, would like to think that our risk of a break in is considerably less.

 

[KathyV]

That is a total drag! I am sorry your vacation was ruined. I have been tempted by AirBnBs and VRBOs there but it seems that most if not all of the stories I hear of break ins are at those. We have always stayed at one of the resorts with no issue. I hope you have good luck with your insurance company getting your stuff paid for.

Very sad to hear this story. We stay at Den Laman, would like to think that our risk of a break in is considerably less.

We've stayed at Den Laman a few times also and we always felt secure.

 

[oldschoolto]

I'm on Bonaire right now and when Spacelev was robbed many people offered help to get them back in the water.. He was very happy with the way the police handled the situation and AB rentals deal on the stolen gear.. VIP divers offered to help them with gear.. A local restaurant gave them a free dinner.. The landlord gave them his GoPro to use for the last days of diving... I was in contact with him and even asked if he needed money for the return home.. I'm dumb founded to find this post after all the out pouring of help they got and how happy they were that their vacation was saved..

Crime happens every were.. I've been coming to Bonaire for years and NEVER EVER had a problem.. YMMV

Jim...

 

[Pedroinspain]

Indeed, but Bonaire seems to be the only dive destination where you wish that AirBNB and other booking companies had a filter item to exclude all but 5* safety secured lodging.
The final feedback that I received from the Bonaire police was (translated from Dutch) that "We are already in full cooperation with tourist industry and service providers, and have on-going dialogue". I stopped there with my attempts to get action because it was clear that the will was lacking on the part of the local authorities and the police, because the police story ....

1) .... totally contradicts what 5 dive shops, two car rental agencies, and various accommodation agencies told me when I questioned them in late-2016 and then by e-mail in 2017. Some, granted a minority, accused the police of being evasive and not just inefficient.
2) ... If the dialogue story were to be true then we have a series of grave problems, because the dialogue is not working with the tourist industry remaining dissatisfied
3) ... the robberies continue at a high and even increased level, so the police efforts, both preventative and forensic/conviction in total are inefficient.
4) I have failed to find anywhere reports (in Dutch) of senior Bonaire politicians addressing the issue of break-ins on tourist cars and accommodation.

In fact, the whole issue smells. In the crime statistics the official publication of the Bonaire police for the first half of 2017 their summary statistics table would have us believe that there were 17 tourist accommodation break-ins, but one 1 theft !!!!!

I remain most convinced by what a restaurant owner said to me: "How can you expect the police to investigate their cousins?"

There are far too many other beautiful dive locations with much better coral health for snorkelers (granted, not many in the Caribbean) AND where you do not have to make an in-depth study of alarm systems, guard numbers, razor wire, and burglar-bars before booking vacation accommodation. Yes, crime happens everywhere. It is just that it happens far too frequently in Bonaire without the perpetrators being brought to account (KPCN data in Dutch). If you can read Dutch, Google "Bonaire tourisme criminaliteit" - which will put paid to the excuse that "crime happens everywhere".

I will never go back. But that is a personal choice, albeit after a lengthy investigation.