Can anyone comment on crime and level of safety in Bonaire? I have read the posts regarding auto break ins and petty theft, as well as the need to leave doors unlocked at dive sites. What about personal safety and safety at hotels? Any reports of armed robbery or assault?

Anyone care to share their knowledge or experience? It would be much appreciated.

Welcome to Bonaire Talk A Klein, If you do a keyword search {found at the bottom of every BT page} on any of your concerns you will see that these topics have been hashed and rehashed to death...We the moderators try to protect the innocent or unknown victims by keeping these threads to a minimum.. Please also take this time to read our posting policies to understand about the postings of crimes..
you can find that thread by clicking on this link. posting policies

I would love to tell you not to worry about it and that really is what you should do, but Bonaire is not immune to this problem. Just take normal precautions that you would at home (with the exception you already mentioned) and in all probability you will not have a problem. Make sure you use the wall safe at your resort major valuables. Tell your wife to not bring any valuable jewelry as she will not really need it in Bonaire (very laid back, non-formal place). The only other thing to worry about is a laptop (will not fit in the wall safe), I bring an old one that if lost would not be a big deal.

I feel safer in Bonaire than I do in many places in the UK, Europe or the States. As Cecil says use common sense and you will be ok.

The issue with petty theft from cars at dive sites is that the thief (often youngsters) know the divers will be gone for about an hour and there probably is no one else around to stop them and people still do leave things in their cars despite the numerous warnings.

As for laptops check with the resort as some do have Laptop sized safes. At C. Don's Habitat we can get our normal sized laptop, two SLR cameras, wallets, travel docs etc. into the safe.

I read that Sand Dollar also have Laptop safes.

Sorry and welcome to BT as well.

Your BT tag made me think

- shouldn't it be a "a Klein" as in Klein Bonaire or Klein Curacao? Klein in this context means small as in small "a"

A Klein..Bonaire is one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean. I've been traveling the islands for approx 25 years. Go to Bonaire, act responsibly & the chances of anything adverse happening to you will be minuscule. Go and enjoy!!

Jeff..when we rent I always INSIST that a locking hub nut be put onto the spare tire. If it's not on the vehicle I take it to their garage the next day to have one installed. Frankly all the rental companies should do this. The cost would be minimal, it's unobtrusive & you need a small key to remove it. $240 is extremely excessive for a tire (yes I realize it costs more to ship them there).So admonitions to other renters. If everyone insisted on this the car rental companies would be forced to comply.

For those who may be interested see this link..
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200310773_200310773

Jeff welcome to Bonaire Talk It is a shame that your first post was so negative.. Please read the posting policies especially about CRIME.. posting policies you will need to submit a police report in order to post what you did.. It will be removed and if you submit a police report to us then we will repost it for you..

Freddie,

OK. Here's a positive post.

My apologies. I didn't realize the I couldn't talk about my experience in Bonaire on this board without first obtaining a police report.

I obviously should have missed my return flight in order to take care of that so that I would be able to talk about it here. My mistake.

I can see how restricting such posts help improve the situation. With such policies in place I'm sure that these kinds of problems will be solved in no time and the general public will be more aware of how to avoid such problems.

Consequently, I'll recommend that our dive group of 12 couples schedule their next trip to Bonaire.

Not.

Jeff that is your lost.

jeff, posting your experiences is not a problem but according to the rules if you post about a crime you have to have a police report to confirm it.

bonaire is a safe island but it's not a 100% paradise. things do happen. stuff gets stolen out of cars...stuff gets stolen from rooms. but if you're careful and take the same precautions you'd take at home you shouldn't have a problem. i lock the doors of my house in the states and i lock the doors of my house on bonaire. however, in the states i lock my car when i park it and never do that on bonaire. also, neither my wife nor i have ever felt unsafe walking around any part of bonaire any time of the day or night...i can't say that about a lot of places in the states.

you and your friends can come back to bonaire or not come back to bonaire..that's your choice. but like patrick said, if you choose not to come because you couldn't post something on BT without following the posting rules, it's your loss.

the guy had a right to post his experience. that particular posting "rule" is actually censorship and we have been thru all that before...

and pat, i'm pretty sure the guy is more concerned about being stuck with another $250 tire rather than being censored...

i didn't see anything about the $250...i guess that was pulled before i read it. i just think it's silly to cancel or threaten to cancel a trip because of an experience on this, or any other, board. these boards are guidelines and are merely the opinions of other people who have been to bonaire.

i think the reason for the rule about police reports dates to when a lot of hearsay was posted with no proof to back it up.

You guys just don't seem to get it.

The posting "rule" reflects the same attitude I've been getting from most Bonarians about this incident. Hush it up. Play it down. Blame the victim.

For instance, from the post above:
"But if you're careful and take the same precautions you'd take at home you shouldn't have a problem."

I took far more precautions than I normally take at home and it still happened. I even researched this board before going, just to see if there was anything else I should do! If someone were allowed to post, for example, their experience with having their rental car spare tire stolen, then I would have known to take a cable and lock to secure it. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

That attitude tells me that there will be no attempt to curb these incidents. Tourists are simply resources to be "plucked" whenever a local feels like it.

Think of the recurring revenue that is being lost by this attitude! I'll bet it's thousands of times more than the (admittedly) small amount that is being stolen from the tourists.

I have been all over the world, including diving in Honduras. Sure I have seen areas with a higher crime rate, but never have I encountered a place with as many apologists for the criminals.

Jeez, it's not rocket science guys! How hard could it be to set up a little surveillance and stop this nonsense? Mark tires and rims. Put on wheel locks. A hundred simple things that nobody bothers to do.

There. I've said my piece. Delete my posts, cancel my login. Whatever. I'm moving on. Just rest assured that I will do my level best to talk all other divers I meet out of ever going to Bonaire.

I have to disagree with Bonairetalk's policy on this one. Taken to its logical extreme, this policy would require a maintenance report so that we can report to board members that an A/C in their hotel was not working. Or a report from the Health department to complain about bad food. The truck we rented at Buddy's back in 05 didn't have a spare tire. Do you need to see the rental agreement to confirm that statement? At least I didn't have to pay for it!

I think that we are all big boys and girls able to see the truth, or lack there of, in most posts. The only one protected by the deletion of Jeff's post is the car rental agency. They seem to be ok with minor property theft so long as a tourist is paying for it.

It is clear that Bonaire has a problem with theft from vehicles rented by divers. The obvious solution is to install safes in the vehicles and lock nuts on the tires. At about the same cost, the local police could be running a long term sting operation to prosecute those who are profiting from the thefts.

Now that I have vented a little, it might be a good idea for everyone who rents a vehicle on Bonaire to roll up the windows, lock the doors and be sure to leave nothing inside to steal (btw, opt for full insurance coverage). Maybe then the car rental agencies will be motivated to make some changes on the island, either in the way their fleets are equipped or through local law enforcement. It is hard for me to believe that the locals tolerate this behavior from a very small number of their neighbors.

Jeff,

Our posts are very similar in tone. PLEASE talk to all the divers you know about NOT going to Bonaire, it will leave more for those who go! LOL

Let me throw my 2.5 cents in this discussion. There must be someone buying these hypotetical items being stolen. I remember many years ago in Houston when T-tops were the rage on all new cars. Then they all started getting stolen. After a number of months, the insurance companies decided to only buy replacement tops from the dealers, not from junk yards and second hand shops. Overnight the thefts stopped because the tops suddenly had no value.

Where I am going with this is that someone on the island is buying the tires etc. And probably the rental companies are buying the replacement spares from the same place.

These kind of issues can be dealt with but require a concerted effort of everyone, locals, companies, victims and of course law enforcement.

A number of years ago the US Virgin Islands had a flurry of crimes against tourists. It made all the major news outlets. Having moved here from Houston, this place is crime free in comparison. One of the most common questions I hear is "Is it safe?" My answer is usually "It is as safe as where you live and almost anywhere else." Except of course for Irag right now but that is a different story.

Unemployed people will steal, drug addicts will steal, that happens everywhere. Until we fix those problems the others will continue.

Most of the thefts are perpetrated by the same few.
Can't deal with them as should be for fear of being jailed and deported
HOWEVER!!!
Hope springs eternal.
For those folks planning a trip to this little piece of paradise.. perhaps a good move is to leave absolutely nothing in the vehicle but lock the doors, roll up the windows and enjoy your dive.
A couple of hundred broken windows later, do you think the rental companies might put some heat on the government bodies??
Hey, that's just a thought

Here's something to ponder. Can you even file a police report in Bonaire on property stolen that isn't yours? I mean a spare tire, battery, etc. actually belong to the rental car company, right?

Pauline...if you want the insurance to cover it, you must file the report. While the vehicle is in your possession, it is considered to be your responsibility. If you neglect to file the report, most (if not all) insurance companies will not reimburse you.

Pauline.. Any property in your care, custody and control you are under a legal obligation to protect it. Simply put, if anything happens, you MUST file a police report. Ownership has absolutely nothing to do with the equation.

Tribs and Vince, Thanks for the responses but in our case it would be very difficult to file a police report if we didn't notice that the tire was missing until our departure day while checking it in at the airport. Our return flight only runs once a week and we'd be screwed if we missed it. I certainly would chose the flight over dealing with trying to file a police report with island police on a Saturday. I certainly don't blame the above poster for doing the same. My guess is the rental car companies know this as well.

I'm so glad that now every day we go somewhere not only do I have to worry about whether my t-shirt will be stolen from the unlocked, windows down truck but the spare tire may go missing as well. I know that's an exaggeration and it probably happens infrequently, but that kind of thing really is unacceptable in such a small place and not something any tourist should have to deal with. T-shirts and sunglasses is one thing but spare tires and batteries...give me a break.

Attention all persons who have not yet gone to Bonaire: Based on my expirience after 8 trips to Bonaire in the last 6 years, there is some stuff in this thread that I feel compelled to address. One - Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but there are a couple of posts here that are suggesting that you roll up your windows and lock the doors on your rental vehicle. Don't do that!! When at a shore diving site, do not roll up the windows and lock the doors Rolled up windows and locked doors are a signal to the petty thief that you must be attempting to secure something of value. The logical next move to them is to bust the window in an attempt to find out what it is you must be hiding!! b.- the moderators require a police report before a person can post a crime story on Bonaire Talk because people post less than accurate stuff on line all the time and it is only fair that a person be allowed to talk bad about Bonaire business's, cops or whatever (in reference to a crime incident) on Bonaire Talk only after they have proven the accuracy of the negative content they are preparing to post. Makes total sense to me.

There is a website called Chowhound. They do NOT allow any post about alleged food poisoning or posts discussing ailments occurring after a dining experience. I respect and understand why such posts are disallowed as I also support the moderator's stances here concerning crime.

Hi Marcus,

I suggested that people who rent cars should lock them up, get full insurance and file police reports if they were broken into. I also said that you should not leave anything in the vehicle of value.

The suggestion was a form of protest from a class of people who are being targeted for theft. The logic is that if the car rental agencies have enough of their fleet down for repairs (even with insurance compensation) that there will be a catalyst for changing the local's tolerance for vandalism. The solutions are simple but no one seems to want to make any changes to the current situation. Hell, even in Mexico they have police to lookout for tourist's concerns.

Jeff..Your proposal as a form of protest is not very good advice. Even if you have "full insurance' in many cases you still have some financial responsibility to the car rental company (read the contract) in case of vandalism.
If you want to protest yourself in this manner, that's certainly your prerogative but I certainly would not condone it for others.

Additionally to even suggest that the crime situation in Mexico is more favorable then Bonaire because in your opinion "police lookout for tourist's concerns" is ridiculous & naive IMHO.

Vince,

I am in no way suggesting that crime in Bonaire is worse than Mexico. It can be very hard to tell the difference between the criminal and the police in Mexico. Mexico City is a virtual war zone (we had some friends who were robbed twice at gun point on the way from the airport to the hotel, the same guy came back for the watches) and I will not even visit one of the border towns. That being said, the Mexicans aggressively police the tourist areas instead of ignoring them.

As corrupt as Mexico is, when you are in the tourist areas of cities like Cabo, Cancun and Playa, there are specially assigned tourist police. The Mexicans take the issue of tourist security seriously in those areas in order to avoid bad publicity. Aruba should have learned that lesson in 05. Currently, Bonaire has an image problem regarding property theft.

My point is that there are two ways of dealing with property theft from vehicles. One, make it hard to get valuables by either not taking them with you or by installing safes in the vehicles (no harder than installing safes in hotel rooms). I wonder if a truck with a safe would rent for more than one without one. At $10 a week you should be able to pay for the safe two or three times in a year. Two, aggressively prosecute the small number of people who target the tourists.

In the big scheme, the issue of theft from cars is not a big deal, BUT it does seem to be the number one problem that your island's guests have to deal with. Those guests are Bonaire's primary source of income. What really irritates me is the attitude that "this is the way it is and that there is nothing you can do about it". They used to have that way of thinking about petty crime in New York City. This is a problem that could be easily addressed by the rental agencies or the local police if they gave a damn. The residents of Bonaire should try to do better. It is in their self interest.

my comments- I am a US travel agent and have been to many countries.I will go diving with friends to BON in July.Safety is a concern in Papua New Guinea, but not Vietnam.Car theft is a concern in Bonaire but not in Playa del Carmen.I think that the insurance policy in Bonaire is awfull.Even when I pay extra,I am still liable for the deductible. My Credit card coverage is not valid on a pick up truck. Should I use a sedan to carry tanks ? Then I am covered. The rental agencies probably earn a lot on these replacement charges. (why are there no comments from agencies ?)I think that posts about bad experiences should be allowed without a police report (within reason); that the rental agencies should do more to help combat thievery with wheel locks on all wheels, a safe if possible-where do I put the key, in my crotch ? That the police should be more vigilant.
I was considering renting a vehicle but think paying for a taxi,may be a less strenuous option.

Walter.. First welcome to BT...
Secondly.. Some info in your posting is not accurate. e.g.
(My Credit card coverage is not valid on a pick up truck)
Not true IF you have an AMEX. If not, I suggest you get one. With the American Express Card you are able to purchase their Premium Car rental Protection Plan which if memory serves me correctly is only $10 per rental. The coverage is applicable to pick up trucks commonly rented on Bonaire (motorcycles, off road vehicles, campers & limos are excluded). If damage to or theft of the rental truck,the card reimburses you up to $75,00.

I assume you meant theft of contents from a vehicle as opposed to "car theft" which really isn't a material problem..

I agree with you that wheel locks on the spare tire should be mandatory from the rental car companies. However you can purchase one yourself for only approximately $15 here in the U.S. and keep it for your protection when you travel to other destinations.

I do disagree with your conclusion of paying taxis instead of the freedom of a rental vehicle. However, it's your money.
Enjoy your trip in July!

I really agree that people should be able to post good and bad experiences in Bonaire. It only makes sense in that it educates you on what you should or should not do on your next trip. Or maybe that something is going on, and you can take precautions to avoid.
The fact that this type of censorship exists on this web site is ludicrous.
If the Bonaire police, hotels, etc want it to be hushed, and this website follows suit, then you are doing a poor service to others. And believe me, I have seen first hand where people who were wronged we not helped on that island.
Moderators, you really need to rethink this one. Don't make this a "Bonaire is a wonderful paradise without any faults" website.

Vince-thanks for your info.I have a platinum AX and will call them re extended coverage.I do not know why I should pay to rent a vehicle and also buy something (wheel locks) to protect a rental agencies property.They should install them. As for a taxi-I would only need transportation for shore diving and I doubt that this would cost $40 a day. Other than that, I will walk.
Lisa Z-Thanks for your input.The forum should not be censored of all information. I sell a lot of trips to Jamaica which has a bad rep.I tell my clients what to expect and no one has ever had a problem. I also tell my clients that go to Aruba that there is a lot of thievery there which does not get "published". It is better to be informed.

Lisa Z. - Walter Chorney, first of all there is no censorship here on Bonaire Talk, see: http://www.answers.com/censoring or http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censoring . This board only requires evidence of a crime being committed because in the past false claims have been made and as a result people's/companies reputations have been harmed. Provide the evidence and one can post about any crime.

Tom
Knowing first hand what happens on Bonaire, and knowing that at times the hotel managers and police are not very cooperative with the "victims",sometimes a police report is impossible to get. Therefore, requiring a police report is a form of censorship. Because if I know the short comings, then those of you who are very familiar with Bonaire, know it as well.
That being said, I still love Bonaire, and we are returning in October. But believe me when I tell you, we have learned from people's bad experiences. It has only helped us to help ourselves.

crime is an analomy...at least in the current scope...references to such may not have any actual value? discouraging such references may in fact be appropriate?

could be...

Knowing also first hand what is required to obtain a Police Report on Bonaire I believe that unless one is victimized on their way to the airport, it can be done with a little effort on the victim's part. I stand with the other moderators in their unanimous decision to require the reports.

From personal experience last summer I have to agree with Tom. We had to file a police report and were treated respectfully and in a very timely manner. Our time at the police headquarters was less than 30 minutes. The report allowed me to post my experience here,deal with the rental company in Bonaire and my insurance company here at home.

Lets see,

Having been involved in filing a police report there as well, I agree with Tom and Susan. No hassle and I/We were treated with respect and concern. Not filing a report will surely not help the police in accomplishing what we all hope they can. Take your broken car to a mechanic but don't give him the tools he needs to fix it and see what you get.
As for reporting crime on a public forum, best be prepared to back it up with proof that it ever occurred. I stand with the Mods on that.
Taxi is cheaper than rental? What was I thinking? (Walter, I so hope you do not give that kind of advice to your clients)

Smack

This thread made my day.
I just want to thank everyone that posted.
Thank you, thank you.

Thank you
Thank you very much

Rather interesting, isn't it? Now I will run down and get my lock, go to Bonaire, have a great time! Thanks for the info guys!

I just called AX and the cost is $24.95 per rental. Thanks for the tip. If I decide to rent a vehicle it will be worth it especially if I can decline the rental agency extra charge.
As for taxi fares, I read that a trip costs $7-10. How is $20 more than $40 ? Or are current fares that much higher ?

The rental coverage from AMEX is $24.95 for 42 consecutive days. You do not have to sign up for it each time you rent a car, each time you use you AMEX in the future the $24.95 will be added to you bill when you rent the car at that time.

Walter, $7-$10 per trip is one way from the airport to the nearest resorts. http://www.infobonaire.com/taxirates.html

If you leave your fax number the police will even fax you the police report if you don't have the time to go and pick it up.

Walter, rent a truck and use your AMEX, very easy and no hassles. Especially since you dive. Taxi fare will run you far more in $$$ for shore diving. As far as where to put the key: "Put it in your BC pocket or hook it to a landyard on your BC. Just rinse it with fresh water so the salt doesn't get in the ignition. Every island has it pros and cons, I'm sure you know that being a US travel agent as you stated. I think it is great that we have BT here so we are aware of a lot of things, such as the insurance info. with rental agencies for one. I also stand behind the moderators in having a police report given to the mods before posting negative statements that might or not be true as these can harm a business or person's reputation if allowed without proof. I am glad that BT has these rules as I know that what I read is fact and not heresay or from a person that may have a personality conflict with someone or a business on island and just lashing out from emotion and not facts. I have been coming to Bonaire for many years now and have followed the suggestions here on BT for shore diving with a rental truck and so far, so good, knock on wood

I agree that the rental agencies "really" should do more to protect their vehicles from theft, but things are what they are and we are just "guests" on Bonaire, not residents. This type of petty theft does not occur 100% of the time as some of you might think, yes it does occur, but really, don't let the mere "possibility" of this happening to you stop you from the freedom of shore diving all the sites you want to.

I am not making light of any theft that happened to anyone posting up earlier here on this thread, I am sorry to hear it happened. Hopefully, if you decide to come back to Bonaire, it won't happen again.

I also don't think BT prevents negative posts, I have posted one or two and have seen many and lots with police reports too, so information is being posted following the proper quidelines. I don't see the big deal in all this.

Folks might not see many negative posts on BT due to the fact that there really isn't much negative to report about Bonaire. It is simply paradise to me. THE PROS FAR OUTWEIGH THE BAD.

I just returned from the Island and paid for my rental truck with AMEX. I have their CDW plan and it is $19.95 for 42 days use. I had two flat tires at the same time on the same side and so did the truck infront of me. $45 to fix them and AMEX paid the bill... If you have up to $2500 of personal gear taken from the truck they pay for that too. The only downside is you pay the fee weather you need it or not... lol

You have to have a police report and recepts.

The AMEX Premimum Coverage policy will not cover rentals from Buddy Dive, because car rentals is not their primary business. So I was just told by
AMEX...

So VISA won't cover it because it is a pick-up truck, and AMEX will not cover it because it is not from a car rental firm.

I guess I'll pay the $10/day that Buddy Dive wants.

- Mel

Does anyone really have documentation of false claims being made about crime? We hear that as a reason, but is it true? Or is it simply that the mods chose to believe it was false because there wasn't a police report? Enquiring minds want to know, as this continues to be a sore spot with many on this board (the many being the visitors, not the residents).

Looking forward to my 10th or so trip in October.

(Message edited by bandit on May 31, 2007)

Mel...call AMEX back. You were given the wrong information. It covers vacation package deals that include car rentals. Do NOT call the general 800 number. They do not know what they are doing. Call the insurance number and explain to them that you have a package deal with a car. It is covered. I have used it in the past.

Tribs, thanks.

After five calls to AMEX, using different numbers, and being put on hold twice while supervisors were being consulted, it appears that the Premium Car Rental Coverage would apply at Buddy Dive if (a) the entire vacation package is paid for with my AMEX card with the Premium Car Rental coverage in effect, and (b) I call AMEX at 800-338-1670 and have them manually key the relevant AMEX charge as including a car rental. Item (a) is critical because pick-up trucks are not covered except by the Premium plan, and (b) is critical because otherwise there is no way for a charge to Splash Dive Center (the travel package retailer) or Caradonna (the wholesaler) to be recognized as including a car rental.

It is a good thing I retired two months ago or I would not have had the time to have saved all this money...maybe $45.

- Mel

I think that all this "back and forth" commenting is great. It has given me some good information, especially on the AMEX premium plan. I still do not know if I will rent as my dive buddy has to agree and he will not do a rental in his name.

The Phone# for the Premium Car Rental Protection Plan is 1-800-326-2078... Ron

See this previous thread for considerable info on auto rental insurance:
http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/32/213001.html

- Mel