Bonaire Crime - Our experience - Looking for input to share

[wwguy]

If the folks that own property, rent houses or manage businesses in bonaire were identified on this thread, it'd be easier to filter out the voices of those minimizing crime.

Am I missing something here? I don't recall ever reading of anyone doing that here for those reasons.

After 20+ years of visiting we've made many friends and acquaintances on the island that meet the above criteria. I'll also add employees of the businesses to the list. Without exception every single one of them is concerned about crime on the island and adjusts their personal and professional lives somehow to deal with it. Many have been victims themselves after having their homes, businesses, and vehicles ransacked, burgled, or vandalized.

None of them have any motivation to minimize crimes to their property, businesses, or customers. Bonaire's tourism industry is flourishing and growing just fine as it is.

 

[boat sju]

On how many other islands is it safe to hop in a pickup and drive around wherever you want? I grew up in Detroit so I guess I'm used to burglaries. Armed robberies, or worse, would be a different story.

 

[Ray and Pam]

Dive vacation on Bonaire....PRICELESS!

 

[Kharon]

When we went to the most popular beach on St. John to snorkle, my wife and I were warned to keep the car locked and take nothing (even towels) to the beach that we weren't taking into the water with us.

Stuff happens everywhere and we didn't feel the least bit threatened on St. John. Stuff gets stolen out of unlocked cars, heck, the cars get stolen, everywhere in the US. Maybe it's time to move - oh yeah, but where to?

 

[BRT]

When we went to the most popular beach on St. John to snorkle, my wife and I were warned to keep the car locked and take nothing (even towels) to the beach that we weren't taking into the water with us.

Stuff happens everywhere and we didn't feel the least bit threatened on St. John. Stuff gets stolen out of unlocked cars, heck, the cars get stolen, everywhere in the US. Maybe it's time to move - oh yeah, but where to?

Much worse when stuff gets stolen out of locked cars. We leave them unlocked when not in areas with lots of people.

 

[salth2owannabe]

The posts on Bonaire crime inevitably always come full circle back to the petty crime and someone had their sunglasses or flip flops taken from a vehicle parked at a dive site. While being a major pain in the a$$ to leave everything back at the rental villa this type of crime is little more than an inconvenience and in my mind something you deal with. While this would be very easily solved by the local authorities, and yes, this type of crime does occur most everywhere.
When I started this post two years ago it was to draw attention to the increase in home invasion burglaries with dive travelers and rental properties being targeted, and no I don't think these types of crimes happen everywhere on the scale and the size of an island that is Bonaire. Can you find other destinations in the Caribbean with similar issues, sure. It may be a little odd that there seems to be a common theme on this, and other forums, that you don't see regarding many other destinations however. I have always felt safe at dive sites or walking around most places on Bonaire and well after dark. I wouldn't say that about a number of dive destinations I've been to.
At the time of the initial post I had interest from folks associated with BONHATA and rental home owners and associations who were/are genuinely concerned about these crimes and it's potential affects on dive travel. One of the rental home owners had particular interest as she (her guests) had been burglarized three times. I provided them with information about our burglary, the lack of any action from the local police, as well as thoughts from discussions shared on this forum and others. I did not hear back from them. As I mentioned in the first post, I've been in law enforcement for almost 27 years. The things that concerned me most was no follow up investigation other than taking a police report, more for our potential insurance claims than any intention of solving the crime. No follow up on a suspect which I subsequently provided them. I was also surprised by the number of similar incidents, including ours and the two other that same night, which did not show up on the various Bonaire Crime reports that are made public or online.
You won't hear me saying that the sky is falling or don't travel to Bonaire, but I would hope that the officers death responding to a home burglary in the Sabadeco area in the summer of 2016 was a wake up call that these crimes need to be properly addressed. Whether it's Bonaire or elsewhere, if you rent a vacation villa make sure there are appropriate measures in place to help keep you and your property safe.

 

[Kharon]

... When I started this post two years ago it was to draw attention to the increase in home invasion burglaries with dive travelers and rental properties being targeted, and no I don't think these types of crimes happen everywhere on the scale and the size of an island that is Bonaire. ...

Not sure I see the magnitude that you do. I'm wondering what facts you have to support this assertion. Note: facts are not annecdotal, subjective, assumptive, etc. Nor are they data twisted into supportive shape.

 

[Pedroinspain]

Not sure I see the magnitude that you do. I'm wondering what facts you have to support this assertion. Note: facts are not annecdotal, subjective, assumptive, etc. Nor are they data twisted into supportive shape.

The hard data are available (in Dutch) on the annual Bonnaire police statistics reports. Sources for these have been provided on various occasions. Here is an earlier example: https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/blg-184420.pdf On page 12 you can check 'diefstal uit motorvoertuigen' - theft from motor vehicles. That is the basis - nothing anecdotal about it.
There have been literally hundreds of robberies and burglaries of tourists over the past decade.
We see in posts above suggestions of: "forensic analysis", police statements, police working on it; under investigation; .... etc, etc.
Bottom line .... how many convictions over the 10 years? According to those reports there was 1 - for a stolen truck.
On 11 May 2017 the "island council" of Bonaire expressed its alarm at the increased level of crime - they should know: AD | Zorgen om criminaliteit Rumours abound of a Curaçao gang called "No Limit Soldiers". The next month it was blamed on poverty. The report states baldly that the police statistics are unreliable.

'Nuff said about police willingness/efficiency.

 

[Kharon]

There have been literally hundreds of robberies and burglaries of tourists over the past decade.
We see in posts above suggestions of: "forensic analysis", police statements, police working on it; under investigation; .... etc, etc.
Bottom line .... how many convictions over the 10 years? According to those reports there was 1 - for a stolen truck.

Holy moley, batman - hundreds over 10 years - police working on it - only one conviction.

ROFLMAO. It's petty crime. Check the statistics for NYC, Seatle, Orlando, for cripes sake, Miami or Key West. Take a look at statistics for the camps in the Adirondacks, Green Mountains, any small town in appalachia. Let alone the drug problem. My guess is that economically stressed areas in spain aren't a whole lot better. You just have an irrational, unjustified obsession to bash Bonaire. Please never go there again. They don't want you. And I'm excessively tired of reading your vitriol so off to the ignore list with you. Ah, that feels good.

 

[Pedroinspain]

Well, Kharon, thank you so much for your kind words. You obviously know me very well. Funny thing ... I cannot remember you at all.
Nonetheless, instead of just taking your word for it, I hope you won't be offended if I ask you to follow my example and provide real evidence for what you write ... for instance, please provide statistics that only 1:500 robberies and thefts in Seattle (it has two 't's) and in Orlando and in Key West end with the perpetrators being arrested.

Many thanks in anticipation. And the rest of your post is equally unsubstantiated IMHO.

To make you feel better, please permit me to inform you that I have no intention of returning to a crime-filled island with inefficient policing, which has trashy shallow coral areas that are pathetic for snorkellers, and deeper reefs in which algae have clearly gained the upper hand over hard (formational) corals in the 15 years that I have visited there. I am surprised that it satisfies even inexperienced world-travellers. Instead I will return over and over to my preferred pristine reefs in climax condition, in areas where violent crime is unknown and petty crime is indeed prosecuted and tourists are profoundly respected and appreciated. I am pleased for your sake that you are so enthusiatic about over-priced bars and restaurants plus marine conditions that have been on the downhill (they were once quite good) for almost two decades.

Yours sincerely