Bonaire Crime - Our experience - Looking for input to share

[Kharon]

A pair of police, one patroling North and one South, would likely solve this problem overnight.

This assumes they are not corrupt....

And yet there are no patrols. To me this speaks volumes how much the island values its visitors.

Actually there are some patrols but they can't be everywhere at once. It's a simple matter to just take the suggested precautions and avoid petty theft. OTOH it's irrational to expect things to be different than they are just because you think it should be so.

And yet another Bonaire basher flies off to ignoreland.

 

[dmaziuk]

A pair of police, one patroling North and one South, would likely solve this problem overnight.

This assumes they are not corrupt

No, you want them patrolling around your car. You want the corrupt ones, then you can bribe them to do just that.

 

[Pedroinspain]

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.

I had no problems doing exactly that on Bali and Sulawesi. It was a breeze.

 

[Pedroinspain]

A suggestion provided to me by a Delta security official in Kralendijk - NEVER stash your stuff once parked at a dive site. That is an open invitation to be spotted doing so and to become a target. He said that snorkelers seem to be particularly guilty in this regard (because they almost exclusively hire cars or scooters?)

 

[Pedroinspain]

Essentially, it's not worth the effort it would take for the Bonaire authorities to reduce the petty crime.

Not sure that I agree. What is the "not worth the effort" comment based on? The police have stated that it is in fact one of their top 5 priorities - all crime against tourists, that is; lodging break-ins included (at least it was in 2016 when I corresponded with them) and the Tourism Corporation is (was) acutely aware of the need to take action. Do you know that this has changed, because I am interested in this given all the correspondence that I had at the time.

 

[JohnN]

I had no problems doing exactly that on Bali and Sulawesi. It was a breeze.

Driving in Bali. . . you're a much braver man than I . . .

 

[Pedroinspain]

Driving in Bali. . . you're a much braver man than I . . .

LOL - used to driving in Italy and Greece

 

[DustyC]

Not sure that I agree. What is the "not worth the effort" comment based on? The police have stated that it is in fact one of their top 5 priorities - all crime against tourists, that is; lodging break-ins included (at least it was in 2016 when I corresponded with them) and the Tourism Corporation is (was) acutely aware of the need to take action. Do you know that this has changed, because I am interested in this given all the correspondence that I had at the time.

They'll really care when there are empty seats on inbound planes. Right now airlines are adding bonaire.

 

[JohnN]

LOL - used to driving in Italy and Greece

Italy is a cakewalk compared to Bali (although I was involved in a fatal accident with a drunk driver about 12 years ago)

Hiring a local and a car is too easy and inexpensive to make me want to enter the daily Bali scrum. . .

 

[hilljo88]

Spent a week in BON in late May. No crime problems. Shore diving at different spots almost every day. Sometimes we took the key with us on dives, sometimes hid the key in somewhat obvious places. No thefts from our truck, nor any others that were parked near us each day. YMMV