July 23, 2004

My name is Neil Godbee and I am a Captain with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office in Macon, Georgia. During my twenty nine years in law enforcement I have witnessed and investigated just about every crime imaginable but I have never been a victim of a crime myself until my last trip to Bonaire, July 8 through July 15, 2004. Myself and eight other persons rented a five bedroom house located in Belnem between the dive sights Windsock and North Belnem. The area is semi-remote and not populated by a great number of other residences close together. The house is owned I believe, by a Dr. Julio Sosa and managed by Sun Rentals. It is a beautiful residence with two entry gates and a pull through drive. It also came with two fulltime live in wait staff. Once we arrived in Bonaire we were met by Simone, an employee of Sun Rentals who took me and one of my fellow travelers named Terry to A B Car Rental in order to pickup the vehicles that had been reserved for us. Upon obtaining the vehicles it was noted that there were several different types of coverage and rates in regard to insurance. No one at the rental seemed to be able to explain the difference of one compared to the other. In the end Simone instructed us that all we needed was CDW coverage at a rate of $11.00 per day and this is what we opted for. An additional $572.00 transaction hold was placed on my debit / check card and was explained as being just a hold that would be voided if no damage was done by me to the vehicle while rented. I was the only driver assigned to this particular vehicle. All this done, we began what we expected to be eight days of wonderful diving and relaxation. This all came to abrupt halt on the morning of July 11. The account of what happened is quite lengthy and detailed due to the fact that it basically started on July 11th and did not end until we left the island on July 15th.. Everything that took place with all parties involved during that time is extremely important in order for the reader to truly understand the devastating ordeal we went through.

At approximately 6:00 am on July 11th one of the guys in our group came to my room stating that we had been robbed and both of the rental trucks stolen. As I walked out onto the veranda it was noted that the middle sliding glass door panel that led to the living area of the residence had been completely removed and the room ransacked.
They had also taken both sets of keys to the two rental trucks. We found that one of the two front gates which are always closed and chained at night was standing open. As everyone else in our party began to get up it was also discovered that the culprits of this crime had actually entered three of the bedrooms while my friends slept and had stolen their money, some clothes and other personal items. We also found personal items such as credit cards, driver’s license, etc. strewn from the rear of the house to the front. Some jewelry was also taken along with a DVD player, CD player and my daughter’s cell phone. Luckily one other person and I had locked our bedroom doors when we went to bed the night before and no entry was made into our rooms. The combined total amount of cash money taken from my friends that night came to approximately $3000.00. One thing that I and the rest of us were grateful for was that at least no one had woken up during the burglary. If these thugs were desperate and determined enough to commit their heinous crime while we were inside the residence what desperate actions would they have taken if they had been caught in the act by any one of us? I believe common sense would say to anyone that this could have turned into an even more dangerous situation then it was when it started and could have easily become a deadly situation as well. In fact, several of my fellow travelers were ready to leave the island that day, not because some of them had lost all of their money, but because of the trauma and fear that had been forced upon them against their will. Needless to say that no one slept as peacefully for the remainder of the trip as we did the first couple of days. As a matter of fact there was even one night when my daughter’s boyfriend and I made a night dive behind the house and she refused to stay in her room alone.

After getting over the initial shock of what had happened and what could have happen it was agreed that we would stay and stick the rest of the week out. For those that had their money stolen, the rest of us agreed without hesitation to cover their expenses for the remainder of the trip. One can only imagine that this added even more stress to the present situation.

Shortly after the discovery of what had taken place I called the Police Department in Kralendijk and explained in detail as to what had taken place. I was advised that it would be approximately one hour before an officer could come to the scene. We also contacted Mous, who is one of the managers for Sun Rentals and he came to the residence at once. We were later advised that it would be after 4:00 pm before a police officer would be at the residence. Other than Mous of Sun Rentals it was as though what we had been subjected to was of no great importance to anyone except us. It was decided that Mous would take us to the Police Department in order for us to file our report and to A B Rentals to replace the vehicles that were stolen. After giving a detailed report of the incident to the police we were given copies of the auto theft reports and these were taken and presented to the A B Car Rental representative. Both vehicles were replaced without comments or advice from the car rental representative. All of this took until approximately 1:00 pm. When one of my friends, Kim and I got back to the residence we found that his wife and one of the other ladies in the group had rode the rented bicycles up to the supermarket while we were at the Police Station. While at the supermarket they ran into Simone (Sun Rentals employee) and told her of the incident that had occurred. To my surprise Simone told them they there had been several incidents like this in the past and that it was believed the burglars, when entering rooms where people were sleeping, were using some kind of spray that would put them into a sedated state and actually keep them from waking up. If in fact Sun Rentals had knowledge of such incidents and according to one of their employees it is obvious they did, they were in no doubt liable to inform us of such incidents while renting one of their properties. Being the house was remotely located, their failure to inform us as to take extra precautions against such a possible incident in our opinion makes them as culpable as well. I know that Sun Rentals could not have predicted that such an incident would in fact happen but I do firmly believe they knew there was a possibility, no matter how small, that it could happen.

I do have to say that Mous went out of his way to try and lessen the stress that this incident put on all of us. I also understand that his attempt to lessen this stress was about business. No one, especially a company wants this type of publicity to have a negative impact on his or her livelihood and business therefore it is imperative that every means possible is taken in order to calm the matter with as little reverberation as possible. For the $4200.00 that we spent on renting the house for a week I firmly believe that Sun Rentals came up short in meeting their obligation in providing us a safe and secure house in which to reside while on vacation and also in failing to inform us of such previous incidents. If they had done so I am sure we would have agreed to rent something in a more populated and dense area.

Later that day Mous came by and advised us that one of the vehicles had been found wrecked somewhere on the island but the other vehicle had not yet been found. Let me add here that after going to the police to make our report we had no more contact with any police officer in reference to our case….no follow up contact….nothing. I found that quite disturbing and appalling. The following day Kim and I went A B Car Rental in order to see what kind of damage had been done to the truck that had been found. We were told that the car was at a local garage called Bocca’s at that time. When the manager of the garage was told that we were the ones from which the truck had been stolen he made the comment, “Yeah, A B Rental called and said they needed an estimate of damage right away for you did not have full coverage on the vehicle.” Needless to say, from this statement, I immediately saw the handwriting on the wall. It was obvious that A B Rentals expected us to pay for damages caused to a vehicle by someone who had stolen keys from inside a locked house and then taken from behind locked gates. You have no idea how this enraged all of us involved. What business was it of the garage employee to have information regarding our contract and coverage with A B Car Rental? In going over the rental agreement I would like to point out two specific parts of the contract. The first part refers to the front and bottom of the contract where there is a space which declares, “I do not take C.D.W. and declare herewith to be personally liable for any damage and objects missing and to compensate for them before leaving Bonaire”. Below this declaration there is a space for the renter’s name and signature. Neither I nor my friend who rented the other vehicle had been asked to sign this declaration because we had procured C.D.W. My point here is…why have a separate area acknowledging refusing to take a specific coverage and agreeing to pay for all damages if the coverage we did take and signed for did not cover the same loss as described in the refusal declaration. The second part I point out is on the reverse side of the contract and is noted as Section 3 and Section 5 in Article 4. Section 3 states, “Burglary and theft damage are not insured.” Section 5 states, “The franchise as mentioned in section 3 is only not due, if an official police report of the accident causing the damages can be submitted to A.B. Carrental N.V., from which report it can reasonably be concluded that the damages were not intentionally caused by the renter or caused by gross negligence of the renter and the damage can be recouped out of the opponent”. A B Car Rental had been provided with such a police report and they knew first hand that this situation was not due to any fault or gross negligence of ours. However, it is apparent that they must have little faith in their own police department and their ability to apprehend the thieves in order that they may be able to recoup their losses from the opponent. Having dealt with the police earlier I can understand why they would have very little faith in them in solving the case. I conclude that is was just easier for them to come after us instead.

That same day I called Mous of Sun Rentals and asked him to come to the house so all of us could meet with him and express our concerns about this particular matter. We explained to him that we suspected that A B Rentals was going to try and bill us for the vehicles when we went to turn in the replacement vehicles on the 15th. I told him that if he thought this may be a possibility to please tell us so I could plan on what steps to take next. I explained to him that we weren’t going to pay for any vehicles that had been stolen or damaged by someone else and our fear was that when we refused such payment to A B Rentals they may take steps to have us held in the country by immigration or the police. More than once I told him that if he thought there was any remote possibility that this may happen then I needed to start making some calls to the United States in preparation for some type intervention by government officials of my own country if needed. I also told that I would, at the same time, request an appointment with the Governor of Bonaire. Mous assured me that he did not think this would take place. I can tell you now that he was correct in only part of his answer.

Our flight out of Bonaire was at 3:10 pm on July 15th. We had checked our baggage earlier that morning and then went to have lunch. We arrived at A B Car Rentals which is located just across the parking lot from the airport at approximately 1:45 pm and turned the replacement vehicles in. After one of their employees did a check of the vehicles for damage and gas I was presented a bill for the first truck I had rented and had been stolen but not yet recovered in the amount of approximately $5500.00. Terry, who had rented the other vehicle that had been stolen and wrecked was given a bill which included an estimate sheet from Bocca’s Garage in the amount of approximately $8500.00. I then told the cashier that we were not going to pay for either vehicle and she needed to give us the amount that we owed for the rental and insurance that was originally figured as our cost for the vehicles. She made no reply but picked up the telephone, made a call and then handed the phone to me. On the line was a male who identified himself as the manager of A B Car Rentals. Hearing him at sometimes was difficult for the fact that I was standing outside the business there was noise from the airport and passing traffic.

One of the first things he told me was that we needed to pay for the damage to the vehicle that had been wrecked and also for the damage to the other vehicle. I asked him how could he say that the vehicle I had rented had been damaged when it had not even been recovered at this point. The only reply he had at this time was had he known that we were leaving Bonaire today he would have come to the airport office to try and settle the matter with us in person. The first problem with this statement is that the contract we signed on both the stolen vehicles and the replacement vehicles had a turn in date of July 15th. He knew we would be there that day. Second, when we took a copy of the stolen vehicle reports to A B Car Rentals on Sunday July 11th the reports had both our names on them along with where we were staying, being the same location from where the vehicle were stolen. If he had wanted to try and settle this with us why did his business wait until one hour until we were to leave the country to do so. To put us under undue pressure, that’s why. He had four days prior to Thursday to contact us if he had wanted to but he did not. I told him explicitly several times that we were not going pay for vehicles whose keys had been taken from inside a locked house and then stolen from behind locked gates. This conversation went back and forth for approximately 45 minutes even though I kept telling him that we had to catch our flight at 3:10 pm. I finally cut him off and stated that I was going to give the phone back to his employee and he needed to tell her to let us know what we owed for the initial rental and insurance fees so we could pay it. I also let him know that the last thing he needed to do was to make a call and have us held in the country because of the situation. He advised that he would not do that but I can assure you because of what had taken place and the way we had been treated up to this point none of us felt safe from that possibility until we were actually on the plane and leaving Bonaire. We did pay A B Rental a total of $224.00 which covered the rental and insurance fees we had initially agreed to before leaving for the airport terminal.

Two years ago I visited Bonaire for the first time and was absolutely taken back with the island. I could not wait to return as could my friends who had also come there two years ago. For some it was their first trip to Bonaire and all have made it clear that they never wish to return. We now have a different impression of the island and not just because of the thugs that broke into our residence and stole our property and money but also because of the way we were treated in general regarding all the circumstance surrounding this incident. Failure of Sun Rentals to give us warning in reference to previous incident like ours, the uncaring concern and lack of investigation and follow up by the police department and last but not least, the tactics used by A B Rentals in trying to force us into paying for something that was totally out of our control. Before leaving Bonaire I had given the manager of A B Car Rentals my e-mail address and as of today I have no had no contact with them. They still have a hold on my debit / check card in the amount of $572.00 which I firmly believe they are obligated to immediately void and release. Myself and the group of people that I traveled with put approximately $14000.00 into the economy of Bonaire in eight days. Nobody seems to care about that along with the fact that we also had personal effects and $3000.00 in cash taken from us. Nobody has offered to replace our losses but only feel as though we should replace theirs. I think not. We were guests in the country but I doubt we will ever be again. I believe that any one considering traveling to Bonaire in the future should know that what happened to us could very well happen to them.

Otis,
You should send this to the Bonaire Reporter (I think the email is "letters@bonairenews.com"). It would appear that the "Police Update" published there only contains a few of the reported incidents against tourists. Yours is not mentioned, though it certainly sounds as serious if not more than the couple that ARE listed.

I wonder if the police think acknowledging some but not all of the incidents make the rest of them disappear?

Interestingly, this weeks edition (online, at www.bonairereporter.com) contains the following:

"What can you legally do if someone attempts to break into your home and before the police tet there?
Anyone is allowed to make a 'citizen's arrest,' notifying the intruder that you are doing so. You may try to grab them to keep them from running but cannot tie them up or hit them unless you are defending yourself. The best idea is to photograph them, possibly by setting up a security camera which automatically takes a photo when movement is detected. Police are very familiar with the faces of many of these intruders and can make an arrest based on the photo. (These cameras can be ordered through a security company on the island such as SSS)."

I must say, the fact that "police are very familiar with the faces..." is a tad disturbing.

Excuse me, that should have been "Neil"

Thanks Susan,

I have forwarded this to SCUBA Diving Magazine and also plan to send it to the American Consulate in Curacao, to the Governor's Office in Bonaire and the Police Department.

Don't worry about the "Otis"...rest assured that after 29 years as a police officer I have been called much worse by some.

Neil

This is really sad. And it seems like the police are not doing anything about this. I was there for the second time one three weeks ago but I am really glad we did not rent a house like we had originally planned. I may still come back again but I would not feel safe in any sort of house, only somewhere with security.

Chris,

Let me add that Mous at Sun Rental did in fact hire a former police officer who is now a private investigator to patrol the area after the incident occurred. I spoke with him myself and he stated that after 15 years as a police officer there he left for exactly the reason you stated in the second sentence of you reply.

Thanks
Neil

I would want a guard on site at all times, not just someone that stops by on occassion patroling a wider area. The problem with rental houses is that the bad guys must know which ones they are and they probably have many entry points and more privacy than a hotel or condo. I would think that companies renting out houses would be very active looking for solutions here because some more incidents like this may well put them out of business.

Not to be picky about your situation but in your years of enforcement have you ever heard of a spray to make people stay asleep during a breakin?
It seems more like an urban legend than reality.

Sorry to hear that report Captain. I suspect the Bib County Sheriff would have a bit of trouble getting re-elected if his office performed at the incompetency level you described for the Bonaire Police. Bet you were slack jawed at the local law's lack of response.

Neil-

Firstly, I sympathize deeply with your situation and the lack of concern with everyone involved on the island. I don't know how you managed to stay another 4 days after the incident; that was very brave of your group. After 4 trips to the island, I think we are heading quickly to the decision of staying only in guarded facilities such as the Plaza in the future, until our home is built, and by then who knows what the state of security on the island will be.

Secondly, I second Linda's comment about the sedation spray. Huh? I really hesitate to think those thieves are capable of James Bond stuff. Although how a complete house being ransacked and picked through, with so many people in it, while being locked and chained is quite incredible. Must have been at 2:45 am when the KLM plane was taking off.

Seriously, though, your voice needs to be heard at Bonaire Reporter and the rest of the government and media agencies. We can only hope that soon they will respond with more police, more patrols, a better attitude.

Sympathies again to you and your group.

Carl

Thanks so much for everyone's positive feedback thus far. As to your question Linda in reference to the spray comment...in most cases burglary are what we call sneak thieves and the last thing they want is a confrontation of any kind That is why most burglaries occur when homeowners are away or at work. Also most burglaries of secured areas such as houses occur during daylight hours instead of nigh time hours. Most night burglaries are of business, car lots, etc. As far as the spray goes I have never personally heard of such a device being used but I do know that you can procure a form of ether in a spray can that is used in starting of diesel truck motors in extreme cold conditions. I do know of an incident when I was in the army back in the 70's when one of two guys fighting sprayed the other with this particular substance and he dropped him like a rock instantly. I can also say that if there is any way a criminal can come up with something new to aid him or her in their criminal activity...they will. Most of the general public would be surprised to know how ingenious a great percentage of the criminals are.

Neil

It seems so sad that for "whatever" reasons, the general public both in and outside of Bonaire are not getting the total crime picture in Bonaire. Many of the long time posters on this board seem to have heard of so few such incidents. In the short time I have joined in, four such home invasions where people were at home and potentially in harms way. I am a one time visitor (one day) who was about to make reservations for 10 days next spring but now have some reservations about making my reservations. I will have to give a long think about visiting this beautiful island. In my own thirty nine years of law enforcement with NYPD I have never heard of any such disabling spray, a la James Bond!!!!

Linda or someone still on island,

Isn't there a 'public prosecutor''s' office on Bonaire, a likely person for a copy of all these reports?

AS much as I love being in Bonaire, all these reports are getting to me.

In the past we have not rented cars and stayed pretty much at a resort. We had been thinking about renting a car for a Spring of '05 vacation, but I am very hesitant to put myself in such a potentialy costly situation. And I definitley will now not stay at a location without full time security. Remember when so many of the BTers were angry over the people expressing concern over road side break-ins of rental cars while diving? Things have certainly escalated as some had predicted!!! Such a shame...

I'm already booked for an October trip, but having second thoughts about our Spring '05 trip now.

Denise, I couldn't agree more with your concern over current incidents. This is more than a modicum of serious crime. I am dying to go back in the spring but regretably have to step back and rethink my decision. No offense to any BT'ers or the people of Bonaire intended.

OK, Kevlar/Nomex helmet placed firmly on head and prepared for the inevitable flames I jump in.

1) I am sincerely understanding and in sympathy with Deputy Godbee's terrible time on Bonaire and what happened at his home rental is unacceptable. Something is rotten in Bonaire's public safety and justice system without a doubt.

2) While apparently there were issues understanding the differences in available insurances at AB Car Rental, AB's web site is pretty clear about the available insurances. This is not the US and we are guests in another country with a different set of laws and customs than the US. The web site is pretty clear that with only CDW coverage "Damage to your car resulting from theft, vandalism etc." = full customer liability. With the $8 per day full coverage addon the customer liability is $0 . It seems like an investment equal to the cost of a couple of beers a day is worth it to protect one's self from a $5000 liability. AB Car rental, like all other legitimate companies is in business to make a profit. It appears IMHO that they make a fair attempt to provide an insurance alternative for their customers.

I feel bad the Deputy's bad experience but the car rental folks do not appear to be the total bad guy here. Based on what I've been reading on BT over the last few months, when I get to Bonaire in November for my first trip I'm buying every bit of insurance I can find!

Captain,

I am so sorry to hear of your horrible experience. I wonder too if there is such a substance that can be sprayed. There sure seems to be quite a bit of burglaries that take place while people are sleeping lately. Something needs to happen on that island soon are people are not going to go back. This is getting out of hand and it doesn't seem that it's getting any better. I have been very fortunate on my visits and haven't had any problems but I think the first time someone invaded my room at a resort it would be my last trip. Hopefully I am never faced with that. It is time for the government or the local police to step up to the plate. There are too many other safe places in the world to dive and vacation and not have to worry about being robbed and burglarized. I love Bonaire and after each trip, even before arriving at home I begin planning for the next......but at some point you will start to wonder if it's worth the risk if the crime continues at the rate it's going. This island isn't the size of Texas and they can't seem to get a handle on what so many people consider petty crimes. I'm sorry but these aren't petty crimes........ Do they think we will just resort to hiring 24 hour private security? Sadly, that's when it will be time to move on. I know there is crime everywhere you go..but when it doesn't appear that anything is being done about it why would you continue to go.

This type of situation is getting well out of hand. First the "kids" were stealing stuff out of trucks at the dive site and now things have escalated to the point where the thieves are now breaking into LOCKED HOMES WHILE PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING!!!

This is a very dangerous situation for everyone concerned. It is going to end up costing the people of Bonaire the tourism dollars that they depend on and rob the divers of the world one of the best locations to see nature's beauty.

What is it going to take to get the government of Bonaire to sit up and take notice?? Will someone have to get hurt or worse die before attention is paid to this problem? I pray not.

I understand that Bonaire is a small island and compared to other places in the world it has a small amount of crime per capita but, that is no excuse for not going after the guilty parties and making them pay for their crimes.

I have to agree with Denise. I, too, have a trip schedule along with four other people and, we are planning on renting a house instead of staying at a resort. With the growing number of home invasion type robberies this decision has now become one that we are concerned about.

must have been a horrible experience!!!

a few remarks : if I rent a car at a holiday destination , I make sure to film the entire car at the pick up site and I make sure it is seen by the company.

About the spray , I'm sorry to say that in fact it does exists and has been used frequently in Europe by Truckthieves. They spray it in the cockpit of the truck when the driver is asleep .
I have heard of at least one fatal incident in france last spring.

Have fun , be safe , and remember : its only money!!!!

sjossss

Who would be committing these crimes? Normally a home is burgularized while no one is there and TVs, stereos microwaves etc. are stolen. This was done intentionally while people were there for a purpose. The purpose could be for cash, DVD players etc., things a teenager could use and a vehicle for a joy ride. What else are you going to do with a stolen vehicle on a small island. A mature thief would have a use for credit cards and not leave them strewn across the premises.

Thank you so much sjossss for confirming the spray. I am Teri and I was traveling with Neil. My room was one of the rooms they came into. I am a very light sleeper and when I am in a new place, even lighter sleeper. I could not understand how they opened a noisy sliding glass door, come across the room and remove items from the nightstand. The watch they took was no more than 12 inches from my head.I never heard anything. As for Carl, the plane is what woke me up. I reached for my husband's watch and couldn't find it. I just thought he moved it after I went to bed, so I went back to sleep. John, I would also advise you to check your homeowners insurance before you leave to see if you are covered for personal losses.The other rooms that were broken into were my two sons. One was with his girlfriend (Neil's daughter) and the other was on his honeymoon. How would you like that memory for your honeymoon? And finally Kay, I too hope you never have to experience first hand what we did. I thank everyone for their support.

This is unreal. Well, it's not isolated to Bonaire.

While in Aruba a few weeks back someone tried to break into my room. I shook the door knob and turned on the light in time to see them run away. Later I learned their images were caught on the security camera. They had broken into other rooms. Nearby at another property fellow Bonaireans were robbed while sleeping and had phones and money stolen.

It was told to us that the culprits in Aruba use some sort of spray to create some temporary sedation. That was in Aruba for what it's worth.

I want to say I feel horribly for Otis's experience. This villa by the way is not in my view a secluded location. It is across from the airport next to Donkey Beach. This has no bearing on this incident but it is a very visible villa on a busy street.

I hope in time the community and police force along with the tourist board can work in concert to address this problem. Also to be noted this is not a tourist issue..locals are victims as well.

IMHO

Terry and Neil ,

I knew I heard something about his gas , done some googlin
Found this , amongst a scary lot of other items.
It is in Dutch but I am sure that if you Google :SOPO+gas you will find something in English too

This problem is bigger than I ever imagined
Scares the sh** out of me actually .

http://www.linnepe.nl/sopo.html

an anti sleeping gas attack device???

They are out there...

Read this

This is frightening, to say the least. Joe and I stayed in a lovely home in the Santa Barbara hills recently and our bedroom did not have direct access/connection to the main portion of the house. This concerned us and we took a butcher knife into the bedroom with us and left it there for the week....the thought of someone entering the room concerned us with the layout of the property, but the thought of someone using this type of anesthetic is totally frightening and leaves one with a feeling of helplessness and total vulnerability. We did keep the bedroom door locked and bolted but I was still not at total ease. If we had not had our own cellphone there would have been no way to contact the "outside world" if something had occurred.....but it sounds as though no one would have responded, anyway, if we had made an emergency help call to the "authorities". A friend of ours who lives on Bonaire had advised us it would be OK to contact him, directly, in case of an emergency. I did feel much better knowing someone was out there to reach out to, if necessary. Very generous offer and much appreciated by the two of us.

I doubt we will be renting a house (or villa as they are called) next year...Not with the rash of incidents of late. We will stick with the Divi.

While we were at Divi this June we did see them installing additional fencing and other "security" measures in attempts to keep the "bad guys" out, I assume. At least make it more difficult to enter their properties from multiple accesses...now one is forced to access and exit at specific areas of the property. That's OK with me.

There used to be a dirt road you could use as a shortcut up into the Santa Barbara hills (from the Hato section up into the hills)....this road has now been blocked off with huge boulders to keep the bad guys from quick exiting of the area. It appears to be a problem for the locals as well as the tourists, as Annie pointed out.

The fact that the authorities can identify these culprits/criminals by photograph is even more frightening.....if they truly do know who is in charge of this "reign of terror" why is nothing being done? Does it come back to the issue of there being no legal system to prosecute these "youthful offenders"? There is no juvenile detention center on Bonaire and from what I have read, there does not seem to be any punishment for "youthful offenders" when they are caught. It might be time to reconsider this situation and scenario. Something definitely needs to be done and immediately...not sometime in the near future. The time for "talk" is over. It is now time for action.

Neil, I am so sorry this horrific experience happened to you and your friends. I don't know what Joe and I would have done in your situation. Totally frightening and also totally frustrating for you, to say the least.

I hope Bonaire does not get lost to the criminals...that would be a pity for all of us.

Just my two cents.

It took me so long to post my thoughts that Jos and Kay had posted two more entries....this is amazing. It seems to be more common than thought. Detectors...wow. I wonder if they will make them portable and battery operated for travelers?? Wow...what a thought...having to travel with an anesthetic detector....what has this world come to? Carole

Hopefully that is not what is going on in Bonaire....No one that I am aware of has confirmed that. So as far as I am concerned it is only speculation. It obviously goes on in other places in the world. Something new to me for sure.

As an owner of a business that depends on tourism for its existance, I am appalled at the the lack of response to the increasing threat to the islands livelihood. While statistically your chance of being a victim is slight, it is nevertheless a real threat that visitors must take seriously and guard against the possiblilty of a crime occuring. The car rental places need to be more precise and tell rentors that they have the option of different insurance coverage. As for Sun Rentals, I will only say that they don't own the properties they rent but should be more proactive in contacting their owners and setting a standard that at least has a wall safe in each property and also post warnings in each unit they rent alerting the client to take measures to safequard their property. All the crime meetings and public protest walks, etc. don't seem to have worked to date and we still suffer from these morons who don't seem to get it. It will take more money and better police work to catch these guys. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Bonaire is facing a critical point in time and with the wide choices open to visitors, they will stop coming and soon we will not have to worry about crimes against tourists....there wont be any!

While my concern on this issue is very sincere I do not want to lose sight of a couple of the precautions we can take - besides lock everything up and now maybe use anti sleeping gas attack devices (!!) ... be sure to take the fullest car insurance possible, stay someplace that is NOT secluded and IS well guarded. Michael, you are so right, this potentially will hurt Bonaire businesses and I would hate to see this happen to people like you and Luty!

Remember that Eden Beach resort is home to the cams :-) Does anybody know how secure they are? Do they have guards and room safes? This issue could be even more reason for us to stay with them . . .

How scary. I've always been of the "it's just petty crime" camp but these recent reports indicate a major change and I feel bad that previous Bonaire antagonists were beaten into submission by apologists (like me) on this board. It seems that where there is smoke there REALLY is fire.

I saw mentioned above that DIVI has been upgrading their security (which is good because it was a joke the last time I visited (3 years ago)). Does anyone know if the other resorts acting cautiously as well?

You locals must be hearing insider rumblings on this. Is Bonaire going to sit quietly by while tourists just, drip by drip, stop coming? Before I'm accused of jumping the gun here, let me say that, IMO,this incident has huge and multiplicitous overtones...First not only did a serious crime take place but (1) the authorities seem unable to do anything and (2) The car rental agencies are forcing tourists into ridiculous coverage and situations because of the inability to stop these crimes and (3) local concern for tourists seem very low based on the lack of official response.

Certainly folks can disagree with me and feel free to point out any errors in my assumptions but I'm not sure I currently feel safe returning to a place where, as a visitor, I just may have no rights or expectations to fair treatment whatsoever should a 'situation' arise...

Thanks Michael, you responded as I was composing and addressed most of my concerns, and I always appreciate your view...

(Message edited by tom brossard on July 24, 2004)

Two words.. The Grenadines.. Went to Bequia in May and without a doubt, we never locked a door or window, and were treated like true welcomed guests to the island and it's reefs. I'll not go back to the ABCs.. Life is too short to look over your shoulder on vacation..

Neil...with much regret I have read your posting.. Our sympathies are with you.. For you to have this experience is absolutely horrible & I might add if something like this ever happened to me, I'd never set foot on the island again (& I've been coming to Bonaire for the last 20 yrs).. Thank-you for sharing this with us..And thanks also for the moderators of this board for making this info available to all.

With that being said, I want to add my comments.
I've been vocal in other postings about what will happen on Bonaire if this problem continues. It WILL escalate into more & more serious crime. We are no longer talking minor break in's at a parked truck on a dive site any longer..
The good people on Bonaire have much at stake in getting this resolved; i.e. NO LESS than their livelyhood & their monetary investment on the Island (IMHO).
I am also dismayed when I read posting by Susan F quoting what to do in a recent edition of Bonaire Reporter.. Say this is a citizen's arrest? Take a picture? Hello is anyone home!!
I will tell you if anyone had the audacity to break into my home in NJ they'd be met by a .38 or a taser. This idiotic "go easy" approach will never solve your crime problem..Yes, I realize this is against the law in Bonaire. So maybe that's where the changes ought to begin.

Now, there was also a posting on buying full insurance on a rental car.. Well gee, I like to get my moneys worth. If I'm paying an extra $19 a day for full ins (this is from the AB website)that equates to $6935 on an annual auto ins bill (& this doesn't even include the liab coverage).
I'd love to see the responses if someone got an auto ins annual premium bill like this.
Again IMHO it's hardly worth it. But obviously this is a personal decision. Me, I prefer to "go bare" & take my chances.

For those of you in the business of renting out houses lets make it mandatory that ALL properties have a secure safe & adequate alarm system installed. In the absence of same, rest assured THIS WRITER will not go near the property & my advice is that you should not manage the property in the absence of same. I don't know the local laws on Bonaire but rest assured in the U.S. you could very well be held liable for damages.

Again Neil, so very sorry to hear of your experiences.. Hopefully the people of Bonaire will give this urgent problem the attention it deserves & I'm sure everyone on this board is hopeful that the problem will be solved as we're all bound by one thing in common, a fondness for the island. I'd like very much to continue my visits to Bonaire.

Vince, I did not mean to imply that taking the full insurance is my choice - rather that if I have to rent a car it may be the best option.

I am extremely concerned about the suggeseted need to have to travel with an anti-sleeping gas attack device!!! While good to know it is availalbe, it is just incredible. This is not the Bonaire I have enjoyed in past years.

While I did state there are precautions to be taken, they would ofcurse not be the end all answer. If the police and the government do not resolve this I do not want to be there. I am also seriously looking into going else where in the Spring. I am already committed to a trip to Bonaire in October with out my husband and we are now expressing concern and talking about what precautions for me to take. I do not want to go elsewhere. And I do not want to miss seeing friends who I have made in Bonaire. But I do not want to be a victim of these types of crime either.

For me, enough said on the subject. Took me a long time to type this as it is an emotional issue and I do not want to be involved in the throwing names around of who suggests what and whose suggestions are good or not.

In our 8 trips to Bonaire, nothing in the way of crime has ever come to us. However, this last trip, June 23 to July 14th brought some unfortunate changes to our above situation. While staying at the Dive Inn, across from Cha Cha, we had our dive stuff drying in the outside lockup. We went out that evening and forgot to bring it inside the room. The next morning we discovered that both masks, my fins, my regulator were gone. Our BCD's and Kathi's reg were drying on the ground. They did not get that. The stuff that was stolen was on a table. My guess is they got it using some kind of pole, over the wire to lift it. While down there, this trip, a spare was also stolen out of my vehicle. It is getting out of control. The illustrious Governor of Bonaire should really stop having lunch at Cappricios all the time and pay attention to what is happening to his deteriorating island. When I went up to the police to file the report, I felt as though I was in the Twilight Zone. They just wrote some stuff down and gave me a piece of paper. When I went to Bruce to purchase a new mask, fins, etc. he informed me that about 12 prisoners were just let out of jail because the conditions in the jail were not that "good." I have a friend on the island, who is also a dive master at Divi. He also owns a gift shop and makes jewelry. He informed me that his house has been robbed 5 times. This "don't give a s*** attitude" by his excellency and the police will surely become the demise of a once great place in the sun.

As a victim of three crimes in my own state, I hope I'm never a victim again. The material loss is serious as well as the psychological effect. Eventhough it's been a few years, it seems like yesterday. It's something one never forgets. Now I live in a home with safes, guns and security systems and a car with alarms and anti-thief devices, just for some peace of mind. Sue

Neil, I'm terribly sorry to read about the ordeal that you went through during a time that was supposed to be joyful and relaxing. It's a shame to see how quickly the crimes have escalated. When my wife and I were there in January, car break-ins were still a shocking event. Now it seems that they are expected and people simply shrug it off as a "bad luck" event, with the criminals becoming more daring, even going as far as threatening with bodily harm (you can bet that a few neurons were given early retirement after inhaling those gases). This is beyond petty theft. At least the attitude of the members of Bonaire Talk has changed a lot in regards to these situation. It used to be that their typical response was burying their heads in the sand and replying with the overused "crime occurs everywhere", or "Bonaire is still safe", or "Bonaire has one of the lowest crime rates" Incidentally, I would like to know who came up with those stats. When I Bonaire, every local I spoke to had been a victim of a crime (theft, break-in) or came very close to becoming one (thieves scared away, dog came to the rescue). I suppose the Government came up (or made up) those numbers to justify their indifference. I don't know about you guys, but in my book, when the high officials show indifference to an escalating situation, know of the perpetrators, and yet fail to react, it is because they are also involved in some level. I feel terribly sorry for the great people I met there and have to deal with those situations daily (people like Mike Gaynor, Amina Kromodimedjo, Suzy Swygert, Hendrik Wuyts, Hensley, our server at the Tipsy Seagull, perhaps the best server we've ever had in our restaurant experience, and so many other terrific people) I hope the government does take action as they "promised". I cancelled my reservations for March 2005 yesterday. I hope bugman Bud Gillian is safe in there right now. Were I were traveling alone or with a bunch of guys like in the bachelor days, I would not care much. But I don't think it would be smart to bring my loved ones to a place where unpleasant situations keep getting out of control AND NOTHING is being done about it. I don't want to spend extra money buying gas detectors or paying extra insurance. I could use that money for a boat dive or a cold polar during the sunset. Besides, Joe Urso is right. You do not need to be looking over your shoulder while on vacation. Coach Izzy

Ooof!! An awful number of grammatical mistakes! I guess I'm not much of a proof-reader. My apologies! Coach Izzy

Wow.

After reading Neil's initial post last night and responding, I spent the rest of the evening with a chill up my spine. Hard to eat dinner, just an overall sadness about all this, after my initial elation in March over purchasing a lot on the island. Now I need to install a sedation spray detector when (if) I build a home there.

Should I learn the papiamentu version of 'This is a citizen's arrest?' Or maybe 'Stop right there, I'm calling the police, don't move for 2-3 hours'.
How about 'Can I take your picture?'.

So sad. I will NOT be stopped from visiting the island, for now. But I think we have decided that we will only stay in resorts with security, and there must be some sort of large knife or other 'weapon' available for self defense. I don't think these thieves are murderers, yet, but they are getting more 'ballsy' by the event, the more often they get away with a crime, the more they will stretch what they will go for the next time.

Carl

We had a huge butcher knife next to the bed with us, Carl. We can't transport Joe's gun so the knife had to suffice. Not a nice feeling. We will be back at the Divi for our full two weeks this next trip. I hope that the resorts are watching this board to see how folks are REALLY looking to them for additional security and peace of mind. I'll bet the villa rental numbers will keep going down if the crime rate keeps going up. Very sad, indeed. I won't give up on Bonaire, tho...love her too much to abandon her now. If we can fight crime over the Internet we will do it....it must start on the island with the local authorities, however. They must now make a major move to curb this activity now before it's too late, just as Michael indicated above. And long before it turns into a murder/homicide statistic. Remember...we are in this with the locals, too, as they are also victims. We must find a way to work together to curb this threatening activity.

My husband is working today and he called home to ask if I had found any good properties on Bonaire to show him today....he wants to purchase something on the island and we also wanted to rent a beach villa and bring some friends down next year. I told him ne needs to read this thread before we decide to do anything. I think we will remain at the Divi for the two weeks and rent a separate timeshare unit for our friends to stay in. I was really looking forward to a house on the water to enjoy with them (their first trips to Bonaire) but I have to consider their safety as well as ours now.....I think the Divi will be our spot next year until something is done to curb the crime against visitors as well as folks who live on Bonaire. Sad, indeed. Carole

I suppose the spray has the same effect on dogs.?

I was thinking about buying a rental place on Bonaire. A small house or villa, but with the last two major incidents reported on BT, I am rethinking my options. If I do buy a stand-alone house or villa, it will at the very least:
1. have a heavy duty safe installed into a rebar and concrete base
2. have safety bars and locks installed on all windows and doors
3. have an smoke/fire/burglar alarm system installed
4. have secure areas to store dive gear and cameras

Linnea, I agree with your thinking but isn't it sad that a home in peaceful, little Bonaire would need to have bars on the windows. IMO, this is very symbolic of an area in decline...

I too am hoping this discussion is being monitored by the powers that be on Bonaire.

I am in the process of vacation planning for Sept/Oct and Bonaire, usually the favorite in my research, is moving way down, if not off the list. I just don't want to worry about everything while on vacation. I know statistically Bonaire is still a safe destination but I've visited 30 times with no incident and I'm thinking my luck may be running out...The Grenadines & Grand Turk are sounding pretty good and this makes me sad.

The sad thing is that burglaries have happened on properties that have security. When I was there in June I heard of 4 different room or house burglaries......More and more people are not leaving things in the cars anymore because of the word spreading not to do so and therefore, the thieves have had to resort to the hotel rooms, rented houses etc to get any goods. One good sting operation along with more patrolling by local enforcement officers would sure help the situation. Maybe they need a Crime Stoppers program. Money tends to make quite a few people talk. I wonder if the local businesses are burglarized as much as the tourists and locals are? The petty stuff like theft of flip flops, tshirts are becoming a thing of the past. There is more go get in peoples homes and hotel rooms and the longer they get away with it, the more thugs that will join in the game. When you can end up with $3,000 in cash, dvd players, camera and dive equipment in a matter of say 10 minutes, who is going to go get a honest job for $800 a month unless there are consequences they have to face. I wish there was something we could do here to help the situation but unfortunately at some point we'll have to make a choice not to go back. I would hate to have to go with only the clothes on my back, prepay everything before you go, rent all dive equipment and return it daily so in the event your room is broken into you don't have to pay for the stolen equipment.....go with nothing and they have nothing to take. hmmm......the new Bonaire...Come as you are island. This island is too special to let it get to that point. What can we do?

Bars are already appearing on the windows.....cb

This is very sad. And infuriating: "Police are very familiar with the faces of many of these intruders and can make an arrest based on the photo." That says to me that these people have been arrested before.

Why are they still able to continue the robberies, getting more and more brazen? One has to wonder (especially since only initials rather than names of criminals are listed in the Bonaire Reporter when they're rarely, amazingly enough caught in the act): are the actual criminals perhaps related to the police or political bigwigs themselves?

I find the idea of this ether spray very disquieting too - what if it's used on someone with respiratory problems, and they die? Will that, along with the theft of rental cars from locked villas, be the fault of the tourist too?

Count me in as another who will stick to the resorts. But I'm thinking Dominica looks pretty nice too - and I wouldn't even consider it not too long ago.

Wake up Bonaire. You're going to regret not doing something soon.

http://britishexpats.com/arch/44/2003/5/151777 Interesting thread on 'sleeping gas'. Very good point made in the first post.

I do not believe it (sleeping gas) exists, but that is just my opinion. We will be there in one week. I hope my opinion is not disproved by personal experience (or anyone else's experience).

This incident kind of reminds of St. Croix in the early 80's...

My husband tells me there is an ether spray that is used by boaters to get a diesel engine going. It's very common. If this is the same thing, thieves have just found a new use for it.

Just an aside, I would be more afraid of a fire due to ether and an errrant spark than it being used to knock someone out...

Otis, I am so sorry for your terrible experience. There are no words when you have been victimized in this way. I am staying near you, in Belnem, on the road to Sorobon. Just now, I was coming in from taking a friend home, and saw the security people, Wowo di Baro (I am CERTAIN I spelled that incorrectly, I apologize) on foot patrol walking down the road. I stopped at my house, and went out and introduced myself to them. They are patrolling with flashlights, looking at vehicles, license plates, etc. I have to admit after reading of your horrible experience, I was so happy to see them. More neighborhoods should do this, yes it costs money, but it is worth it for peace of mind.

Good luck to you and I hope you will someday return to Bonaire to replace your bad memories with new, good ones.

Ayo.

after our experience of being robbed in the middle of the night two years ago, we returned to Bonaire again last year hoping it was not "our turn " again only to have the licence plates stolen off the rental car..we can relate to your emotional and physical distress...not what a vacation time should be..but I really feel bad for the people of Bonaire who don't seem to beable to get this problem under control..it's an option for me to dive , relax and spend my $$ elsewhere...they have to live there...I love the island and it's people...again what can we do to help ?I'm sad we may not return in 2005...also a tip...make sure the bars on the windows are mounted on the INSIDE..ours were pried off with a crowbar and entry made thru the window

Now that the conch, lobsters, and reefs are protected, it is time to protect the residents and tourists on Bonaire. This week will change Bonaire's history. Rumors and reputations, real or imagined, are like getting salt in the well. It is impossible to get out. Each of us needs to contact the police and governor with our "turning point" concerns. I have been coming to Bonaire since 1966 and nothing can compare to what I am hearing in the last 2 days.

Bonaire can learn a lesson from Miami. 10 years ago tourists almost stopped coming to Miami because it was just not safe. It is far from perfect, but Miami made real changes, starting with its own admission that it had real, damaging problems to start with. Officials led the way, instead of getting in it.

Making the changes necessary to make Bonaire a safe island again is not only smart business, it is just plain smart.

Bud

This is truly the last thing you expect to happen while on vacation. I am in a resort type business in Wisconsin and have had several occasions to confront people who we need to contain or arrest. Being an avid hunter and shooter I have many weapons at my disposal. I never have any kind of weapon on my possession. Our natural reaction is to have some sort of weapon for self defense close at hand should the occasion arise. Please people beware - whatever weapon you may choose to have at hand may be used against you by the perpetrator. Better to be missing some money and personal belongings than a loved one. I am in no way suggesting that we take a back seat to this kind of crime, I only suggest not letting you get yourself into a dangerous situation with an invader and a weapon you may not be familiar with and not ready to use in a moments notice. Remember, there are many "accidents" that occur due to a person having a weapon by their bedside and a child or house guest coming into the bedroom.

All that being said, did you ever wonder why most police officers carry one of those big 3-battery MAG flashlights? You know, those heavy all metal ones that could double as a baseball bat. A good one probably costs about $20 US plus batteries. Yes, they can help see farther than most smaller lights but they are soooo heavy and totally metal encased. They are basically indestructible and you can legally bring one with you on your checked luggage.

So basically what I am suggesting is to have such a flashlight with you (you never know when the power may go out), keep it close at hand, and leave the butcher knives, etc. in the kitchen.
Tom

Good suggestion, Tom. I recall seeing a flick years ago called "There's a gun in the House" and it was a history of one gun and its travels...the one story which made a lasting impression on me was a woman who wanted to have it for protection and in the end, she ended up shooting her own daughter in the dark in the kitchen one night...dead.

We will make a point of bringing down our large MAG lite flashlite next trip....we have it here at home, too. Carole

Dean..Your comments on St Croix ring with me..I was involved on the Island in the early 80's with tourism..And for many many years after the "Fountain Valley" incident people on & off island were talking about it. This did incredible financial damage to the Island in terms of dollars lost from tourism..In fact it's one of the reasons I sold out. Lets keep our fingers crossed that the situation on Bonaire does not morph into something similar..

St. Croix still suffers from this incident (my architect brother in law lives there ). Murder of course is another story..scary stuff..

Bonaire is part of the Dutch Antilles. And therefor an independent state within the Dutch kingdom. They have their own government etc. We (here in Holland) are aware of the Antilles politics and I'm not surprised that they are not capable of handling the situation. There government is a joke, the prime minister last year was the sister of a mr. Godet, who good not be installed as minister, because he was charged for corruption (and being convicted in the mean time). We have a huge problem here in Holland with juvenile delinquents who come from the Antilles and can stay here without a visa. One of the measures is that we have a 100% check of all passengers who come from the islands to Holland checking for drugs. The antilles (mainly Curacao) are one of the main drug routes from South America to Europe.
They clearly have other moral standards.
I think it is a shame that the Dutch government is not interfering with the island developments and that they are letting the island slowly become a banana republic with all of its elements.

Neil, I'm sorry that this incident happened to you and your family.

I found an item at radio shack that might be helpful. It is a door alarm that sounds a loud siren if the door is opened. Here is a link to it: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=49-427 If that doesn't work, just keyword search alarm on the radio shack page.

It won't work on sliding glass doors but it will work on hinged doors. Like the ones into the bedrooms. It sounds a loud siren that should wake you or scare off an intruder. It might make late night trips to the bathroom interesting, though. I picked one up last night. For seven bucks, I thought I'd give it a try.

We arrive in three days and after reading Neil's report it appears we will have to be more proactive.

We love Bonaire but it may be time to start thinking of other places to vacation.

Jeff

Jeff,

Alarms can work both ways, to warn you of incoming intruders and to hopefully frighten them away. Food for thought...they can also place the intruder into a state of panic and desperation...their plans have been foiled and their panic and desperation can then turn into anger which could then lead to an assault. Take one further precaution for me...if you dive, keep your dive knife very close at hand. If something like this should ever happen to you, God forbid, remember you have to get "mad dog mean" in order to survive. Better to be tried by 12 than carried by six. Some may disagree with this philosophy but I am from the south and the old school. Good luck with your trip.

Neil

We are more than angry that nothing happens for years now. Remember the big protest in may 2000 ??? We were asking for Dutch police, but that request has in the political system to come from the central government in Curacao, and they don't do it and the Netherlands does not accept a request directly from Bonaire. There will be a referendum on the 10th of September about the future status of Bonaire, one of the options is Bonaire to have a direct link to the Netherlands ....
For the moment, all of you can help, as said in the case of Lagoen Hill by Bob Smits: Write mails and letters !!!! I will add the e-mail from the local news paper Extra, to which we yesterday we send also the open letter to the Gezaghebber, who is officilly the head of police.
Please write !!!

Gedeputeerde van Tourism:
Burney Elhage
elhage@bonairelive.com
Bestuurskantoor
Plasa Wilhelmina
Kralendijk Bonaire
Phone +717-4020


Gezaghebber Herbert Domacasse:
gezag@bonairelive.com
Bestuurskantoor
Plasa Wilhelmina
Kralendijk Bonaire
Phone +717-5330 tst. 220

Ramonsito Booi ( Statenlid)
rtbooi@bonairelive.com
Ministerraad Bonaire
J.A. Abraham Blvd.
Kralendijk Bonaire
Phone +717-5330 tst 117/118

Extra Bonaire
E-mail Address(es):
extrabon@telbonet.an

Thanks to all of you who make that effort
Brigitte


'

Kelly, the Wowo di Barios you met on the road to Sorobon, are paid by Coco Palm Garden & Casa Oleander, by Ocean View Villas, Jake Richter, who now lives on the road and Inez, the owner of Casablanca Restaurant, who also lives here. They are walking the 4 streets on which our properties are located. All together there are perhaps 70 houses here, we together are only 13 houses who pay .... and not everybody is as nice to them as you have been , thanks !!!!

I heard that also Lighthouse Beach Resort has now the Wowos di Barios ... but I don't know why other streets are not getting together and using them....

Hi Brigitte,

we have plans to move to Bonaire in the beginning of next year. I have some question about Wowos di Barios:
1. What costs are we talking about?
2. How effective are they? Do you still have burglary or theft problems in your area?
3. What area do they cover?

Thanks,

Peter

To all talkers that may be in Bonaire at this time or will be there shortly:

During the burglary we had one of my friends, Kim, had his old faded red "addidas" (addidas in black letters across the front) baseball cap taken. I assume the little thief took it as some type of trophy for his accomplishment. I can't tell you how diligently Kim and I looked for that hat during the remainder of the trip when we were out. You had better believe that if we had spotted it there would have definitely been a citizen's arrest made, but not by the terms described in Susan F's post #796. If anyone happens to see such a hat you may just be looking at one of our assailants.

A piece of advice: When you are out shopping, diving, eating or just sightseeing it is natural to strike up conversations just as we did with the locals and others. In friendly general conversation if you are asked where you are staying while on the island you may want to avoid giving that answer. Keep you the particulars of your accommodations to yourself as well as other personal information.

Neil

Peter

1. What costs are we talking about?
-------- Here it is different, because we could not find enough neighbours to participate... I think they talk about Nafl 20 per house if they have 40 houses....

2. How effective are they? Do you still have burglary or theft problems in your area?
--------- In the area yes, but not in "our" streets .... there are some nice people around here who shout at them because they think it is for nothing and they don't do their job ... but it really is only 4 streets we pay for

3. What area do they cover?
See above, we use them for 4 streets ... it is an agreement between the house owners and the Wowos ....
You can contact them at 785 9475 or 525 1107

It is a foundation not a commercial security company. On the board are u.a. Otto Bartels and Lester Diamond

Brigitte,

20 Nafl per month is nothing. If they found enough contributors they could easily cover Kralendijk, Santa Barbera, Lagoen, Sabadeco, etc... The people renting out houses could advertise with "safe vacation, protected by Wowo di Barios". Such an action could bring back tourists wanting to rent a private villa, but scared away by the crime problems.

There are other ways of getting funding. I know that raising the price for the dive tag was discussed in the past. Adding 5$ would create an additional revenu of around 150.000$. That is 267.000 nafl per year. That means that at 800 nafl per street, around 30 streets could become crime free. I don't know how many streets need to be covered, but to me it sounds like a viable solution, or part of a solution anyway.

Is Wowo related to the government?

To elaborate further on Brigitte's reply, "Wowo di Bario" means "Eyes of the Neighborhood", and is basically a neighborhood watch program run by/as a non-profit foundation. With Bonaire's police not doing their job for whatever reason for the last many years as Brigitte points out, and as has been repeatedly posted here on BT, Wowo di Bario is a great alternative to providing neighborhood security. At present it's costing us only about $60/month for piece of mind, and it's a small price to pay to support this non-profit organization.

An interesting anecdote - when I first met the Wowos after we had moved to our new house in Belnem, they told me that in addition to non-supporting people giving them grief for not watching their homes (go figure - expecting something for nothing, eh?), even the police berated them for not having prevented a burglary in the adjacent neighborhood of Lima the night before I spoke with the Wowos. The Wowos explained to the police officers in question that they are not financially supported to patrol extra areas outside of the 4 streets they cover in Belnem. When the Wowos suggested to the police that perhaps that should be the police's job, they were treated with derision and the police officers they were speaking with abruptly left.

Police and justice system inefficiency is not a new thing on Bonaire, and many excuses and occasionally some valid reasons are given for the results, or lack thereof. If you want some details, look at the old Bonaire E-News site - http://www.bonaireenews.com, where I and Linda reported on these sorts of things on a regular basis, much to the annoyance of various folks on and off island who preferred to use the ostrich approach to dealing with problems.

As has been stated elsewhere, the people of Bonaire are having problems too - it's not just tourists. However years of police/justice inefficiency have made many locals apathetic with respect to even reporting these problems to the police.

You don't need to convince Bonaire residents to fix the problem - they know and have known it needs fixing. However, the fact is that crime here is cyclical - in other words, there's a "crime wave" (in Bonaire terms) for a short time, someone ultimately gets caught, the wave goes away (petty crime continues at its regular pace), and some folks think the problem is solve and get more lax. They only rev up when the problems get "out of hand", then patch it, and then the cycle continues. What they are not seeing is that it's an upward cycle - the levels of crime before and after a wave are not the same - it appears to be slightly higher. And that means that "crime waves" have to become more and more severe to get official notice. And if this continues, at some point there will be a St. Croix like incident. It's known as quiet escalation - it's when changes occur so slowly and gradually that you don't question them, but outsiders who only see things in snapshots see drastic differences over a year or multi-year period.

For example, in many U.S. communities, it's taken for granted that many high schools have metal detectors. However, take someone from the 1970s or even 1980s and show them what's going on in schools today, and they would go into catatonic shock, in complete disbelief in the breakdown of societal respect and structure.

The problem in fixing this is getting the powers that be (many of them in Curacao, where the prevailing government attitude towards Bonaire appears to be "screw them and ignore them") to take real action.

The only solution that Bonaire itself has is to supercede/supplement/whatever local policing with a more reliable security force. That can either be in the form of one or more private security forces, or by getting the Central Government to request the Dutch send in the special police (military police) as happened in Sint Maarten some years ago. The people of Bonaire had already petitioned the Queen of the Netherlands for the Dutch MPs several years ago as a result of the actions Brigitte mentioned, but were told the request had to come from the highest levels of the Antillean government.

Changing the legal system to allow one to beat a burglar who has invaded your house as a lesson, oops, sorry - for personal safety, ahem, again requires changes Bonaire by itself cannot implement. Similar issues exist for a better incarceration system for juvenile crooks. I will add that rumors of occasional vigilantism abound.

In any case, I'm glad we have dogs in our yard, the Wowo di Bario organization, an alarm system, and that the house we bought has iron bars discreetly built in to every window & doorway. Also, we used to keep a heavy duty broom handle in the bedroom at our old place.

And as Kelly is house sitting for us at the present, I'm sure she is glad for all these things too :-)

I'm back to my vacation - I hadn't meant to post anything on this thread, but had to get this off my chest. I won't be posting on this topic again, though.

Jake

Looking and thinking about these responses. A lot of suggestions about bars/alarms/guards keep coming up. Just something to think about if these things all happen and it gets harder to break in won't the bad guys just change tactics? They seem to have shifted from cars to residences and why would they not just shift to directly targeting people?

The posts here that worry me the most are the apparent lack of concern or incompetence from government. These people need to be put away and until that happens they will continue to make a living illegaly by whatever means they can. You can protect things all you want but only the government can get them off the streets.

Neil,

Your story sent chills up and down my spine and I'm still reeling.

We were robbed in February but only of some snorkel gear we neglected to bring inside off our terrace. I was totally creeped out knowing that someone had been outside my villa while I was sleeping. Had your incident happened prior to mine you can bet I would have been catching the first plane off Bonaire thinking that if they had already been outside then the next logical step was inside.

All the recent break-ins have caused us to cancel our villa reservation for Feb. 2005. We forfeited our deposit but it was worth it to us to have some peace of mind by moving our reservation to a resort closer to town in a much more populated area. We loved the villa but don't want to spend our next vacation worrying and lying awake at night startled by every little sound.

Our new rental has bars on the windows and padlocks on the doors - a truly sad state but at least maybe we can sleep.

I'm sure at some point we will have to weigh the wonderful snorkeling against the above water hassles and will probably go to another island when the bad begins to outweigh the good. Unfortunately, it is really close to that point already.

Belinda

A couple of thoughts:

Maybe these thugs (5 or 6) are the same in the Bob Smits and Neil Godbee incidents, and others? If so, the immediate future of tourism and safety on the island is held in the balance of just a handful of criminals. So if the police lose the apathy, collect these thugs and make an example of them, wouldn't it be to everyone's benefit?

Unless, there is someone in the police or government who knows who these people are and are deliberately not taking any action... maybe someone on the police force who makes sure it is 4 hours or more before anyone takes a report or starts looking for stolen goods, the people at the rental car place who try to force tourists into paying thousands for rental trucks (when perhaps they tipped off the thieves etc.), the owners of the villas could know the thieves and tip them off as to when and how many people are staying there, etc. I am not implying that this is happening, nor is this a conspiracy theory. But it could happen, we should be realistic. Perhaps I've seen too many movies.

It has been mentioned on BT that the fewer pieces of information you give to others while on the island, the better. Also, perhaps be cautious on this site before you go as to dates, places etc. where you'll be staying. By all means, after you return, let us all know everything! :-) We are, after all, talking about potentially dangerous people, even if it is only 5 or 6 in total.


Just my two (more) cents.

I am really sorrowed that it has come to this but I must say goodbye to Bonaire for now. I have visited this island on numerous occasions and many of you on this board know me so I have opted to use a new user ID as not to be recognized.

I really hope that this crime issue is worked out as I already miss this island as I type this message. Since I typically visit the island with friends from my local dive shop (usually 15-30 of us) this will have an impact beyond me. I am certain I am not the only one that will seek to dive elsewhere.

Good luck Bonaire....based on what the police have done thus far you will need it.

Everyone has said it, but I too must get this off of my chest! There are already many "Dive Clubs" that are going elsewhere. We too are looking at buying rental property on Bonaire. Now we are certain we are going to go with a condo or apartment in a secured area. We are going to travel to Bonaire with the bare minimum...our dive gear and absolutely necessary stuff. We may sleep in our wet suits, BC's, regulator etc. and hope we will wake up if someone tries to rip us off! :-) We love the diving on Bonaire....MOST of the people on Bonaire seem to sincerely want us (and our $) there. I feel sad for those people that will not come to Bonaire for the WONDERFUL diving...but life goes on. The rental houses on Bonaire may become a thing of the past...but for the hotels, resorts, and all-inclusives...look out!!! Let's do our best to do what everyone has mentioned in this thread and then let's all move on to continue to keep Bonaire the BEST diving spot in the Caribbean!!!!!

We were strongly warned by our dive shop owner to choose another island for our dive trip this past spring - but chose to come to Bonaire for the first time and things did go well for us. However, this dive shop owner in Texas will no longer recommend or schedule group trips to Bonaire until the crime is under control. I feel if more dive travel specialists refused to book trips to Bonaire until this type of activity is diminished, it would make a huge difference in the attitude of the police department and department of tourism in solving these problems.

Perhaps anyone who has had any form of crime committed against them on Bonaire should contact the US Embassy for the Netherlands Antilles and let them get involved. FYI - there are warnings on the State Department website about the crimes on Bonaire - tourist beware!

Bonaire has some of the best diving and it surely is simple to just gear up and walk out, but until something is done to stop some of the personal risks, it just isn't worth the trip!

I don't see that there is an incentive for the police to find and prosecute these criminals, if they're not in on it. They would still have jobs, even if tourism dropped to zero. I think the government has to put pressure on the police to do something; they won't spring to action themselves.

Carl

Bummer Otis. Glad you guys are okay. I can't really blame anyone who does not want to return to Bonaire due to the crime issue. I, however, will return for the shore diving. I believe there are effective ways to secure money and equipment while on Bonaire; I also believe you are relatively safe in your room as long as you stay away from stand alone rental houses that have not implemented security measures. I think criminals naturally take the path of least resistance and it is up to those of us that return to bonaire to make the path to us and/or our stuff sufficiently difficult. Jake says the locals are motivated to solve this issue; that hope and possibility is enough to motivate me to return to Bonaire. These losers may get to me and/or my stuff in the end but I can promise them it won't be easy. Have a great Dive!

My husband and I have been reading these posts, and are now in the midst of deciding on whether to cancel Bonaire for October, and find another place to dive. It's really a shame, as we have gone to Bonaire twice a year for the past few years. But I don't think it's worth having to worry constantly about your safety, or your belongings. Does anyone know the email addresses of the governor in Bonaire, or someone high up on the food chain that we can mass email? I'm not even sure if it would do any good. This is a very sad state of affairs for Bonaire. And for the divers who love it.

What about a Private Security Force! I think this could be a very viable business enterprise and people will pay for it. The police are functionally out of the picture anyway...statement of fact.

There's supposed to be a government plan for handling the crime issue. Check out the 5th post from the bottom under subtopic: assaulted and robbed at Logoen Hill under trip reports. You'll see one of the bullets talks about hiring an outside security agency.

Lisa, the e-mail address of the governor I posted above - gezaghebber means governor...
gedeputeerde means deputy and Statenlid means member of parlement.
Extra is the biggest local news paper in Papiamento, which is bringing tomorrow as headline an open letter Marion and I wrote to the governor, including the link to this discussion ... and I think the Caribbean AD, a local newspaper in Dutch, will bring it too, at least I was called today by their correspondant.
So please, all of you, why not using these 4 e-mail addresses and write your complains too...
When we, some locals, wrote last year a lot of mails, only the procecutor replied, and he complained that we should stop flooding him with mails .... perhaps we can show them what flooding really means ????

Brigitte, for what it is worth, I have sent emails to the addresses you posted above. Thank you for making them available.

I, like others that have posted, am saddened by the increase in the severity of crime on Bonaire. My reasons are selfish for I own a lot at Sabadeco and am now questioning whether to follow through with our decision to build our retirement home. It is sad that our house design and landscaping is slowly beginning to look more like a secured compound than a retirement home :-(. We are not planning to build for two more years so the authorities still have time to respond before we need to make a decision about whether to abort the move to Bonaire, although this would be very sad indeed.

People keep saying how it might take a death to make the government take notice. I talked to someone who went to Bonaire 5 years ago and a death DID happen DURING her visit and it was during a break-in. It happened to be a local victimizing a local, but there apparently HAVE been deaths involved in burglaries. Does anybody lurking out there have more information on this? Are there more violent incidents that we are not hearing about on this board?

Time to add my two cents.

First and foremost, I'd like to make it clear that I do not in any way want to downplay the horror that victims of these crimes have undoubtedly experienced, nor do I want to deny that there has been an escalation in crime on Bonaire of late or that there are definitely intrinsic problems in the way the way the police and government react to these crimes.

I do not believe in hiding our heads in the sand and denying that this stuff goes on, nor do I want to imply that knowledge of all of this activity is not useful from the point of view of reminding us all to take safety seriously and to be take precautionary measures to protect ourselves when we travel anywhere. It's always a good thing to be reminded of what the real world is like so as not to become complacent in protecting ourselves from crime, just as it is a good thing in the diving community to hear stories of what can go wrong when diving so as not to become complacent when it comes to the always serious nature and potential for injury that this sport entails.

With all that said, I also think that it is important sometimes to put all of this in perspective. There are few, if any, utopias in the world where this stuff never happens -- it can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. While it IS important to hear about the evil side of people, I DO feel that it is also important sometimes to keep it in perspective. In my numerous trips to Bonaire, and even with all this information available about crime on the island, I still have the sense that the island is, overall, a pretty safe place to go on vacation. Obsessing on reports of crime can make ANY place in the world seem horrible -- those that point out that there is crime everywhere, even in Smalltown USA, are not necessarily hiding their heads in the sand or denying that it exists or rationalizing it away or saying that it's okay or that we should ignore it or that nobody should try to make it better, but are perhaps just trying to put some perspective on it. I sometimes see threads like this on this board obsessing on the negative -- kind of like watching the TV news on a given night and coming to the conclusion that everyone and everyplace in the world sucks because there is story after story on the dark side of human existence. I think my point here is that while it is important to have these discussions, and to learn the facts, and to NOT hide our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that this stuff goes on, it is equally important to remind ourselves of the GOOD about the world, about people, and, yes, about the island of Bonaire. God knows that this board is overwhelmingly filled with testimonies about the wonders of the island and the beautiful character of it's residents and visitors. Let's just try to remember not to linger TOO long and focus TOO much on the negative, and to also try to remain rational and use our brains to try to filter out facts versus heresay and urban legend.

I believe the incident you're referring to was in June 2000, when during an armed robbery of a snack-bar owning couple, (upon their return home & refusal to give up the money bag at gun point), were shot and killed. It was terrible, of course, moreso because this is a small town and most people knew (of) them. They owned what used to be Bon Awa, and had a 5 year old daughter at the time, whom I had taught to play 'Miss Mary Mack,' over my numerous visits for ice cream. To the best of my knowledge, and Bonaire is my home since 1990, (after growing up on the Jersey Shore, and living in Washington DC for 10 years), it is the last murder of any kind I can remember here, except for a domestic dispute a year or so before that. Those murders were four years ago. The mother of the attacker was suspicious of her son, and turned him in. He is still in prison. She keeps trying (unsuccessfully) to get him transferred to a prison in Holland, because if he's there, he'll be entitled to weekend passes, or is more likely to be released early, so I've been told.

What has happened to any crime victim is a horrible, life-changing ordeal, no matter where it happens. I speak from first-hand experience. However, I doubt that any one of you comes from a place where there is absolutely no crime, or if there is, there is 100% immediate police action & follow-up, or where you can get to know the victim on-line (or would even care to). And unfortunately also, I doubt that any of us travel anywhere 100% crime free, with an efficient and over-staffed police force. I was in Italy for 2 weeks last month, where I was constantly warned of pick-pockets, even inside the Vatican.

What most of you have found charming about Bonaire besides the superb diving, snorkeling & windsurfing, (the lifestyle, lack of poverty or beggars, the friendliness of its people, cleanliness, relaxed attitudes, etc) are all partly because of Bonaire being a small community, where everybody knows what everybody else is doing. Or so it seems on many ocassions. How many people live in a place where it's probably certain that no one goes to bed hungry at night, or has to choose between food or a prescription? For better or for worse, that is our "small town" atmosphere.

The publicity that one well written and publicized break-in can generate (how many of you have now cancelled your trips because of the report of this awful break-in?) is the down-side of living in a small community. For that we will all suffer, and will have to re-examine the pros & cons of our daily lives, and make our personal choices. I, for one, do not regret choosing Bonaire as my home.

So Scott, was your sunrise in New Hampshire as beautiful as mine here on Kaya Grandi? We must've been writing at the same time. Thank you for so eloquently making the point I was attempting.

Yeah, sunrise was indeed beautiful this morning on a nice crisp, clear New England morning the day after a meeting about 25 BT'ers at great BBQ in Bow NH (see the thread and pics under Everthing Else) where we all got to share our memories and thoughts of Bonaire. And only 23 days until our return to your little piece of paradise........

I think the problem in Bonaire is not the crime itself, but the lack of attention these crimes and criminals are getting. We have crime here in my little neck of the world, but at least when we do I know that I have the support of the law on my side.

Ruth, you have a point... but. I WAS mugged in Italy - Rome, outside the St Pauls Cathedral out side the walls of Rome at noon - bright daylight. The police were useless as was the tour group leader whose job was to act as a liason.

I will never go back.

I have no delusions that the place I live is crime-free - Lowell, MA has it's share of drugs, thugs, and poverty. Nevertheless, I am comfortably secure within my home and can go walking at night in my neighborhood without fear.

If it comes to the point that I can't do the same in Bonaire, I will take my dollars elsewhere.

Firstly may I add that I am also very sorry for what happened to the individuals who were burgled.

However I do feel that some of the posts on this thread are getting rather too exciteable.

On the general theme of crime. No-where is unfortunately crime free anymore and whilst it does seem the authorities could and should do better some perspective is required. Well in excess of 30,000 tourists visit Bonaire every year (not including those who come on the boats). With this in mind think to yourself how many 'serious' incidences have you heard about - I have trawled though the boards, and they amount to fewer than 10 - so the chances of any individual suffering a 'serious' (by which I mean being having their house broken into and upward rather than pilfering from cars) crime seem to be around 1:3000. I can tell you now that statistically my chances of being a victim of such crimes in my home town (London) are considerably higher (using metropolitan crime figures). Does that stop people visiting/living in London? I think not. I think part of the problem is that too many folk see Bonaire as some kind of utopia - it is not; its a developing country with all the problems associated with the contrast between rich first world tourists (ourselves) and the majority of fairly poor locals. Anywhere you travel in the Caribbean or latin America you will find that there is a baseline lawlessness associated with the drug trade etc. We have to unfortunately live with that. Packing up and saying we arent coming again because of a very small chance of something bad happening doesnt help the mass of decent local folk or does it do much to enrich our lives by experiencing different places and cultures. Locking oneself away in some sterile condo in some hermatically sealed resort defeats the purpose of travel.


Secondly as regards 'sleeping gas'. consider these points. All the 'sleeping gases I know (I work in a medical teaching school) betray their use by some sort of usually unpleasant side effect. Ether for example brings with it a thumping headache; if you have ever had a general anasthetic try and recall how you felt after you woke. Recall the use also of 'secret sleeping gas' usedby the Russian forces to liberate the Moscow theatre from chechans - 15% of the people dies, many were rendered paralysed.
I seriously doubt such a gas was used - you would know from the after effects if it had. This is James bond stuff I am afraid. wonder how the bad guy administers it without knocking himself out - bit of a give away to walk around with a gas mask on, dont you think?

Andrew:

To your first comment - people still have choices. If Bonaire's issues continue to escalate (and just because your "trawling" of "the boards" hasn't yielded what you consider a significant number doesn't mean they aren't increasing in frequency), there ARE safer places in the Caribbean. I love Bonaire, but I won't vacation somewhere where, in a tiny population, an even tinier subset of that population is allowed to terrorize and victimize visitors. I go on vacation to relax.

To your second point: did you even look at the link Kay provided? http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/cgi-local/bbs/show.cgi?tpc=1022&post=204091#POST204091

I agree, each incident must be put into perspective. But the bigger point, the point above the fact that crime does exist everywhere, is the point that the police and government are doing nothing to stop it and are showing complete apathy. This is the crux of the matter.

If Mr Godbee was burglarized and robbed, and the police showed up quickly after being called to the scene, took a report and began an investigation, wouldn't we all feel better? And if the rental car company offered sympathy and Mr Godbee didn't have to worry until he was in the air about being not let out of the country without paying $13,000 for 2 stolen trucks, wouldn't we all feel better?

I don't think the point is so much that the crimes are happening, it is more that no one in authority is willing to help. I accept crime is everywhere. But if I call the police for help when I'm burglarized in New Jersey, they'll be here in 5 minutes if not sooner, write a report and leave me with at least a small bit of hope that they will investigate.

I accept that there is crime on Bonaire. I don't accept that I am helpless against the criminals, as apparently we all are.

Carl

for christ sakes, just stop going to Bonaire, that was my advice in 1998, at which time we entraped and subsequently beat two thugs to a pulp at nucove. The island is not even a shadow of what it was on my first visit in 1986. The water quality has been affected by all the septic spoo and the crime is obviously supported by many of those nice folks you all talk so foundly of, probably all those fat assed "police" as well.

Just admit it, Bonaire sucks and only an idiot would take a vacation behind bars. Expand your horizons and find the well known destinations to the experienced diver, the pacific locations, where you can see much more for about the same cost and don't have to plot to wack a piece of bonaire trash over the head.

thanks my brit friend for the link to this redundant topic, when a trained enforcer gets taken like this it sould send a a message to even the dumbest of the bonaire cheerleaders.

Boycott Bonaire

David C. Scott

Carl,
You said well what I haven't been able to put across for myself. I don't care how understaffed the police in Bonaire are, they should still be able to respond to a call in a reasonable amount of time. The island just isn't that big. And a rental company that takes the stance that the victim is at fault needs to reassess their policies.

I will probably go back to Bonaire - at least one more time. We stay at a resort, and so far there have not been any serious crimes (that I've heard of, anyway) occurring there, anyway.

But there was a time when I wouldn't even have wanted to consider diving anywhere else (much to my husband's chagrine, as he's dived many places and would like to dive them again ) - Bonaire is so easy to dive, and everyone seemed genuinely friendly. Now, I'm looking around, thinking about other options, other locales.

Susan - perhaps you would be so good as to direct me to the crime free spots in the caribbean, I'm all ears.

Yes I did look at the 'sleeping gas' detector advert. Frankly it made me laugh. On the web you can find virtually anything that panders to even the most extreme paranoia, this being a perfect example.

David - hmm interesting. I have spoken to divers who say the reef is no-where near what it was 20 years ago, and that the problem of the reef suffering through run off etc really must be addressed

Safe Caribbean Islands:
Saba, Grand Turk(kinda), West Provo.

In the Bahamas: Crooked island, Harbour Island, Long Island, Cat Island. course you need a good sized boat to get to some of these. If you have a good pump shotgun, I'd add Cal Sal banks.

To be fair, about every reef I've seen in 25 years of diving in a downhill spin. Bonaire is amoung the worst, even worse then the FL Keys.

The simple and obvious solution to the Bonaire situation is to employ the locals in a protracted sewer project and pay them a good wage, no heavy equipment, pick and shovel, turn the construction into a social project as is done in other third world locations such as Bonaire.

This should help the crime pandemic and maybe help the reef as little as well. But I've been ranting on this for many years now. I'm afraid the reefs are taking a hit due more to global warming and related sea level rise but getting the Bonaire spoo out of the water can't hurt, and keeping the other Bonaire Spoo out of your bedroom would be welcome, I would think.

Let's see, anyone who chooses Bonaire as a vacation destination is an idiot, those who like to share their positive thoughts about it are dumb cheerleaders, beating thugs to a pulp, carrying pump shotguns on vacation, Bonaire is a third world nation, Bonaireans should dig trenches with a pick and shovel to solve their problems.........nah, it ain't even worth further comment.........

Scott, well said :-)

yep, Scott I usually end the threads. as I suspect will happen here.

These are just my thoughts which are based on my experiences.

Sorry you don't see the crime problem as basic as have vs. have not. What these punks need is money and a little self respect. The model I mentioned is a proven method to supply both, which has worked in dozens of third world countries which I have seen first hand.

However, I don't carry a firearm on vacation, you see that was one of the points. I also don't vacation in a place where the good people are behind bars and the crooks run free. I do carry one (firearm) when I'm offshore, as do all prudent mariners. I recommended a pump vs. a semi auto due to the fact that racking a round usually will turn a suspect vessel away, and I'm sure you will want my advice on the gauge and loading sequence:12ga, birdshot,00,00,slug,slug. And it is always a good idea to be able to back that up with a full automatic weapon, that would mean machine gun, Scott.

I would suggest that I may have seen a little more of the world and life than you. If I offended your sensibilities by admitting that we immobilized some scumbags(not "kids") that were breaking into cars, well so be it. Do I feel good about it, Hell yes. I don't look for trouble, but I don't hide from it either. There is a lot of good in the world, slightly more than bad, based on my experiences.

Have a nice day.

Dave, your comments are always welcome with me !! Nice to see you popping in.

I'm on Bonaire right now, and so far so good. Knock wood of course.

Thanks Dave, I'm on my way right now to purchase several Uzi's and grenade launchers and sign up for the NRA Platinum Card. Thanks also for the heads up on feeling good about immobilizing scumbags; my testosterone levels have been a little low lately, and needed a boost.

Thanks also for setting me straight on the fact that I'm idiot, a cheerleader and a naive wimp from Podunk, USA because I like to go to Bonaire, share my thoughts about it, and haven't seen any of the world outside my little white-picket-fenced-in back yard and don't cruise the world carrying automatic weapons. I'm sure your insight into myself and the many others you've broadly categorized, criticised, and trivialized is undoubtedly based on how well you know all of us and not on the basis of any rational, intelligent insight.

Oh Dave, by the way, if you think that there is only slightly more good than bad in the world based on your experiences, may I suggest that it is YOUR choice of experiences that requires some adjustment, not mine.

Carl P. - well said (above). Crime exists - apathy by those charged with mitigating the cause and the impact is the concern.

Apathy is easily recognized by all involved. Those that will take further advantage of the situation will do so as long as the apathy exists.

Barton

Brigitte... thank you for the addresses of those to contact who may be at the heart of being able to address this

Jake... thank you for your input regarding this issue and for the forum in which people can discuss their concerns and suggestions

All... I, for one, appreciate all your input as it contributes to my decisions as how I best can/will deal with this issue (continue to speak up to those who in power to make change, take precautions when in Bonaire, or go elsewhere) - sometimes though how something is said can make it difficult to hear the message, but keep on trying

Thanks Kelly, and knock on heads, not wood.

Scott, let me ponder my "Choice" of experiences.
at the end of the day I really feel we have very little "Choice" in our experiences if indeed we choose to leave the picket fence.
And for what it is worth, I don't belong to the NRA, I hate guns and violence and the exploition of the weak and underclass. I was going to vote for kerry until I saw 60 minutes last night and learned he opposes the Yucca mountain project.

As to cheerleaders, well just seems to me, that a great majority of the gringos from the US view Bonaire as some sort of Florida South. It is not a place that I have found the average US visitor to be very well traveled, or experienced in diving for that matter.

As to testosterone levels, woo man chill out. I'm not out to prove anything, Is there really anything wrong with letting a crook know that there is a consiquence to a bad act.

Now I'm sure you are a nice fellow, the fact remains that you attack me and really have nothing to offer as far as a solution to the demise of what was a nice little place to go for the very new or very old diver.

Why would anybody go to what Bonaire has become?
perhaps idiot was a bit strong, maybe illadvised or untraveled would be a better way to put it.

Also Scott, you should know that I'm the biggest troll that ever hit this board, thanks for the strikes, dummy.

Have a wonderful estrogen filled day.

Your Pal
Brutus

Ah, aren't flamethrowers wonderful???!!!

And perhaps this thread can be turned to a part 2-- it took a couple of minutes to load on my cable modem. Or perhaps, considering the turn of the last few posts, we can just let it die here.

Right back at ya Dave from one rabble rouser to another. It's been a fun filled morning of creative provocation. Hope to meet you on Bonaire one day.......

nah, I got this thing about Bonaire...how bout Cay Sal Banks, I really want to see your new grenade launcher.

Captn Dave

Pro Vodka Tours

Nah, I only hang out with in places frequented by ill-advised, untravelled tourists. But I'll meet ya on this board tomorrow and we'll solve the world hunger problem as well as more important topics like Janet Jackson's wardrobe difficulties......

Bonaire officially sucks. What a shame for the people of bonaire. I blame rap music.

Well it appears that this thread may be going downhill from here..
I think however the important points were that we are all aware that Bonaire is no utopia & crime does in fact occur everywhere (notoriously by the Vatican)..The frustrating part is the lack of committment by the local gov & police & this will result in a furthur deterioration.

Case in point..I was on a 2nd floor condo on the 7 mi beach on Grand Cayman about 3 years ago. We came home from the restaurant & there was an individual in our room.Apparently he had just climbed in from the terrace. Well I went at him basically armed with just 4 letter words..He quickly jumped off the terrace & fled..I threw a pot at him..
Now...the main difference..I called the police on Grand Cayman. Within no more than 15 mins 2 of them were at my door. They went around asking questions, description, looking for fingerprints..An hour went by & basically I was tired & shooed them off. Did they ever catch them..I have no idea..But they DEMONSTRATED that they care & in fact did act in a professional & coutious sympathetic fashion.

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Holland, because if he's there, he'll be entitled to weekend passes, or is more likely to be released early, so I've been told.
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What!!! Murderers get weekend passes in holland? Well thats part of the problem right there. A liberal stance on crime is to blame on bonaire and I wonder where they got that idea from?

Well said Vince.

Vince - you were lucky in several respects, not the least of which was to find local authorities who cared about your safety.

Carl

To sin by silence make cowards of men

Quoting from the Bonaire Reporter dated June 18 -25 2004: "The condition of Bonaire's coral reefs is equivalent to typical Caribbean coral in the 1970s. Thats about seven times better than Belize and three times better than that of other Caribbean locations." Unquote.

Gee, its nice to know that I am an untraveled and ill-advised know nothing. I have only been to Baja California, Cozumel, the 3 Caymans, Grand Turk, Belize, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Fiji, Australia, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Yap, and that most dangerous of places, Bonaire, for diving.

"Well said"...hahahaha.

Want to compare Hollands crime rate with the US?

Scuba Diving Magazine's most recent Top 100 Survey: "Readers say Bonaire offers the best diving in the Caribbean/Atlantic region." Unquote.

It's amazing how much negativity there is now on this thread - name calling, gun-grabbing, macho posturing, bragging and accusing. Well, I'm not "inexperienced or old" - I've dove the Red Sea (two trips, including virgin Saudi Arabian sites), Fernando de Noronha on the equator 250 miles off Brasil (shark central, no Stuart Cove-type feeding there either), eastern Mediterranean (Turkey), Persian Gulf (off Oman), Cayman, Florida Keys, Roatan, Bahamas, Gulf Coast, St Lucia, St Vincent, Baja Cal, various Costa Rican sites (from my own cruising sailboat that I built), most of the Channel Islands off California, Galapagos, Maui and Oahu, and more... I've been burgled in Lebanon, California, and Brasil - and I'm making my 4th trip to Bonaire in October. Petty thieves and the more dangerous "live" burglars are a fact of life everywhere and to blow up the truly unfortunate, vacation-wrecking incidents that have occurred on Bonaire until you're making statements like "Bonaire sucks" and "I'm never going back" and Bonaire is only good for "inexperienced and old" divers is pretty darn silly and indicative of some rather small minds. Here are the facts: Bonaire is great diving; a majority of the people on Bonaire are good honest folks; the Bonairean police need a major overhaul; and all people (travelers and locals alike) must be vigilant and smart whether at home or not.; this is a board that is meant to be helpful. Therefore it is probably time to end this discussion instead of continuing down the lowest-common-denominator path.

I believe that the character known as Geology Dave has a bit of a reputation on this board as being a rabble rouser. In light of the continued comments from folks on this topic, I think it would be interesting for Dave to perhaps add one more post indicating with perhaps some level of seriousness just how much of his comments were meant merely to provoke/have a little fun stirring up the pot and how much they are meant in earnest. Are you up to that, Dave?

No more sinning by silence.

Mr. Godbe, Thank you for sharing with us.

Also, thanks to all who live and work on Bonaire everyday for your post as well. And thanks also to those who have responded to those post in a courteous manner without the posturing.

I agree with Glenn this post has degenerated to the point of disgusting. What the hell has "I've dove", "I prefer", "Bonaire Sucks", "I live", "Want to compare", "I've been to" got to do with the topic at hand escalating crime on Bonaire - nothing!

Ooff! Enough of this non-sense! This is far worse than the Taiwanese parliament! I thought people were more open minded to other's opinions! Why insisting in bringing-up those non-sense "Bonaire has low crime" bogus statistics? ALL members of this board know very well and are aware of the crime situation in Bonaire and bringing up those over-used, worn-out statements,and saying "There's crime everywhere" is stating the obvious and the equivalent of calling somebody stupid (Yeah, that's water, careful it is wet!). As it was pointed before, the crime issue is not what is discussed, but rather the apathy and complete lack of interest from those who are supposed to help. Those who choose to return to Bonaire, well, good for you! I wish you happy and safe diving and a trouble-free trip. However, some of you do need to read more thoroughly before deriving flawed conclusions. That is how the flamethrowers got lit! As I said before, returning to Bonaire is now a personal matter. Those who choose to return, please respect those who chose not to and quit throwing those over-used stats. They're no longer relevant. I for one vote to end this thread and move on to a new one. It is sad to see how the sharing of someone's experience has deteriorated into a battleground of irrelevant personal attacks and me-too's. Please let's refocus on the original point of this post and give Neil Godbee the sympathy and support that he and his loved ones could not find in the Island. Enough said, time to move on. Coach Izzy

Amen. cb

Say goodnight, Dick.

Goodnight, Dick.

I want to first express my sorrow and outrage at what happened to Cptn. Godbee, his family, and his friends. No one should ever have to experience such a thing -- in Bonaire or anywhere else.

To say that he and his travel companions handled the situation with grace is, I think, an understatement. (I had a similar situation happen to me about 20 years ago in LA and, needless to say, I did not spend another night at the same hotel nor did I sleep normally until I returned home.)

Two things about crime victimization statistics: a) the "odds" are of little comfort if you are the victim; and b) they do not track well with the perception of crime - one or two big incidents can drive perceptions for years (and impact tourism even longer). These are things the government of Bonaire should consider.

Petty theft and burglary have increased during my ten years visiting Bonaire and remain an issue that locals and tourists alike have been coping with for some time. While one should not need to worry about leaving things in an unattended vehicle, that is not reality -- in Bonaire, in Hawaii, in many urban areas in the US and at hiking trail heads across the US.

It has been a long standing rule of mine to leave windows down and the car unlocked and never to leave dive gear unattended. (I know of a case in Bonaire where someone had more than $100 stolen from the glove box -- and she was especially upset because this was the second time. I think I would have stopped leaving cash after the first time!)

For some reason, this problem has always seemed especially frustrating in Bonaire -- more so than where I live or other places I visit. Perhaps it is the lack of anything resembling an effective police force. (I suspect one reason Curacao is reluctant to send police resources to Bonaire is simple -- they perceive crime as a bigger problem on Curacao, where they live). Perhaps it is the size of the island that makes one believe this is a very solvable problem. Perhaps it is the knowledge that petty crime, left unaddressed, has a way of becoming both more prevalent and less petty.

So far, I have not been directly affected by the crime. Still, I know a resident who has had to have her front doors and locking mechanism beefed up after a theft. I know another DM who returned to Holland after their house was broken into. I know a another DM who had his boat stolen. Mind you, this has been over a ten year period and hardly represents all of the DMs I have known.

All of that said, these two recent (related?) incidents are of a much different nature -- one that certainly does give me pause. While no was injured in either of these cases, these are the sorts of incidents that could have had different (bad) outcomes.

So here is what I have decided for now: I will not rent a stand alone house w/o a fair amount of "extra" security. I also may sleep a little less easy than I have in the past. I will pay much more attention to car rental insurance clauses. I will no longer simply suggest, without reservation, Bonaire as a destination to other divers. I will write letters to the Government. Still, there is much to like about Bonaire -- both the people and the place.

I think, as human beings, we often do a crappy (or at least illogical) job of objectively assessing risk. Many more fear planes rides than the car ride to the airport. Barry Glassner has done some interesting work around fear and crime. The upshot: some of the things society tends to fear most are, in fact, very unlikely to impact a given individual.

I think Bonaire is still much safer than my first visit to Chiapas where there was a tension in the air (this was just before the uprising/revolution) or my first visit to Cancun (hotel security had Uzi pistols w/the extra clip taped on for quick changes) or my first visit to Tikal (Guatemalan military on patrol 100 yards from the hotel, presumably for rebels -- looked like 12 year olds w/full auto weapons and grenades) or several prisons I have visited or... (I would also grant that Bonaire is less safe than several other places I have visited. I would also concede that upon first reading the original post, Bonaire *felt* less safe to me than many of these other places)

So, I think Bonaire is not as safe ( as it has been which was *very* safe) but still something short of truly dangerous (although time will tell). I will offer only as a potential destination to friends -- but with more and more caveats. I will return this fall -- although future trips are pending how safe the island feels to me.

In the end, Bonaire has to compete with literally dozens of other vacation spots around the globe. In that competition, almost everything matters -- quality of diving, ease of diving, air service, the feel, cost, crime, etc., etc.

This year, I was very close to doing Chuuk and/or Palau. If I had more money, I would have been looking at the Galapagos. Also in the running were Little Cayman, Bay Islands, Yucatan and Thailand. I picked Bonaire this year as I got a great airfare *and* I felt safer travelling alone there. As for next year...

For heavens sake, moderators, please put this thread to rest!!! Even the gravediggers seem to be asleep.

To stop the name-calling and mud-trowing, we will close this tread. If some one has questions about this action, feel free to contact the moderators