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Everything Else Bonaire: Crime in Bonaire
Bonaire Talk: Everything Else Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999 - 2004: Archives - 2003-04-30 to 2004-02-25: Crime in Bonaire
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shellie simpson (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 5:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi All! This message board has been very helpful in planning my first trip to Bonaire. I had a friend mention that the crime rate in Bonaire is high. They specifically mentioned that hotels rooms were broken into (sometimes by hotel employees) and that if anything was left ashore for a shore dive it was certain to be gone when you returned. also, they mentioned that you shouldn't leave your car doors locked or windows up at the shore so locals don't think you are hiding something valuable. Any thoughts or experiences on this subject would be appreciated. One travel agent suggested Curacao over Bonaire for this reason.

thanks!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1121) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 5:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

LOL! To suggest crime on Curacao is less than on Bonaire is like saying New York is less crowded than the Northpole.
And on the subject of leaving your windows open... Not only are you then not insured (like when "they" hotwire your car to take it for a joy ride, for instance), but they can also access the hood of the car and steal your battery.
Just make sure there's really nothing in there of value and make sure that this is obvious from the outside.
And no, it's not as bad as your friend has led you to believe.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Liz Ginocchio (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #142) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 6:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Shellie,

Are you sure it wasn't the other way around? Curacao's crime rate is STAGGERING compared to Bonaire. We were in Bonaire May-June and had read in a local paper that Curacao had 28 murders already this year!!!!

We have a house that we rent out to vacationers, and that we also stay in when we are there. We have NEVER had a problem.

The only crime is petty. I mean if you are silly enough to leave cameras, money, etc out in the open in your vehicle when you dive, then you are inviting trouble.

When we shore dive, I carry a little case hooked to my BC with money in it, we leave the windows to the truck open and NO ONE has every bothered it.

The people of Bonaire are WONDERFUL! I can actually say that we walk around town and the island at any time of day or night and never have had a problem.

I am SOOOOOOOO tired of hearing about the "terrible" crime conditions on Bonaire. They just don't exist.

I also think that travel agents tend to push the BIG resorts for more commission, and this is one way of scaring their clients toward those resorts, but the again that is my personal opinion.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Angela Strozier (BonaireTalker - Post #34) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 7:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Shellie, WOW, I can't believe someone told you to be afraid of crime on Bonaire. We were there last Sept. and will be going back this Sept. I am one of those people who tends to be concerned and I could not have felt safer on Bonaire...Forget what you were told and go with plans to have fun....Like Liz mentioned don't leave out camera, money, etc for one to pick up but don't by any means go with a fearful attitude...We love Bonaire and I bet you will too.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By shellie simpson (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 7:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

i knew this was going to be the response i would get! don't know where my friend is getting his information, but it sure sounds like it is inaccurate. i am not usually a concerned traveler and take the generally safe precautions , just wanted to get a little input from previous travelers. i will be booking my trip for january. thanks again!

-shellie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marcus L. Barnes (BonaireTalker - Post #48) on Monday, July 7, 2003 - 8:10 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Shellie: Your concern is understandable. However, based on my expirience shore diving on both Curacao and Bonaire, I would not make the decision based on the crime factor. In fact, I remember driving up to one of the northern dive sites on Curacao; both on the way up and on the way down several locals flipped us off as we drove by them. Nothing like that has ever happened to us on Bonaire. I agree with Marc and Liz; the crime that does occur on Bonaire is petty in nature and can be pretty much handled with common sense (no offense intended to those who have expirienced it). We have shore dove Bonaire for the last 2 years and have never had anything taken from our vehicle by taking precautions we would take anywhere else - don't leave anything in the vehicle you don't want to disappear. I think this is common sense step one would take anywhere in the world. Bottom line - I think your agent is mistaken and if shore diving is what you want to do - Bonaire is #1 in the world and is definately the Home of Diving Freedom - Go For It!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Annea (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 4:21 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I agree that you can take precaution concerning your car - but how about your hotel room??

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Meredith Lynch (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 7:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

OK, so do we leave the windows UP or DOWN in our rental vehicle when we are diving??? This is getting confusing!! Insurance wont pay if the windows are left down and the battery is stolen?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cecil Berry (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2700) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 9:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Meredith, a battery is cheaper than a side window. Leave the window down and if they steal the battery tell them it was up.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1122) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 9:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Make that 32 murders in Curacao already this year.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kitty @ CrystalVisions (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #243) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 1:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

34, and counting.... :-(

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Meredith Lynch (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Tuesday, July 8, 2003 - 9:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Good idea, Cecil. Im not used to having to worry about this stuff!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Newsgroup Moderator (Board Administrator - Post #57) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 9:40 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thread moved from the Accommodations section since it's really a more general topic than just accommodations.

The Moderators

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynthia Barnes (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - 12:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Our truck window was smashed while we were doing our very first shore dive, to the tune of over $200. No insurance available for this sort of theft. The police were very blase and one of the DMs said that she knew of at least seven smashings that day alone. She herself had lost $700 from her vehicle and mentioned that another tourist had had $2000 stolen the last month. It was all I could do to say "Leaving cash in your vehicle is WHY this is rampant."

I would have happily pumped $200 into the economy with a nice dinner or a jewelry purchase. The woman at the car rental place said if we'd left the windows down, they would have stolen the battery, the jack, and the radio -- we'd have still been out $200.

There seemed to be absolutely no effort being made to prevent these thefts. We probably won't be back. I've traveled all over the world and not seen theft on this scale in such a small area.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Yana girl (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #134) on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 9:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cynthia,
I'm sorry to hear your diving trip to Bonaire was so bad. 1st, your defective dive gear rentals then the smashed car window. I hope your next Dive trip will not have so many negative overtones. Happy and safe Diving to you...... wherever your next dive trip may take you.
Yanagirl

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1205) on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 9:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cynthia, that day was a particularly bad one and most likely due to the fact that the Regatta was coming up... "they" need drinking money then. Since Regatta there have hardly been any incidents (knock on head).
It's a bit of a circle; crime has increased now that more people are coming to the island, but that fact also results in lack of time to sit down with all parties involved to come to a solution. I can assure you it's on everyone's mind though.

 


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