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Local Items: Pitfalls in Paradise: Crime in the Tropics
Bonaire Talk: Local Items: Archives: Archives 2005 - 2006: Archives - 2006-08-06 to 2007-01-01: Pitfalls in Paradise: Crime in the Tropics
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim (BonaireTalker - Post #51) on Saturday, November 4, 2006 - 10:47 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

On occasion I like to search news.google.com for Bonaire and see what the rest of the world is talking about.

Today I stumbled upon this article:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/11/travel_crime.html

While it is a general article about increasing crime rates on many Caribbean islands, sadly it lists two stories relating to Bonaire in the article. Which is one more than the rest of islands. Fortunately they are only accounts of theft, and not violent robbery/attacks as is talked about on other islands.

"One couple from Washington State was actually robbed twice within a three-day span of their vacation on Bonaire, a Netherlands Antilles resort island with only 12,000 residents. First, their vehicle was entered while they went snorkeling. Then they lost money, cellphones, BlackBerrys, and a passport from their villa on isolated Lac Bay."

and

"Convincing police to cooperate can also be a problem: Bonaire police failed to act after a Venezuelan tourist reported cash, a camera, and other items missing from his room at the upscale Captain Don's Habitat."

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By marge karalis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #169) on Saturday, November 4, 2006 - 11:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Don't you think some of these crimes are inside jobs. At least it doesn't seem to be as menacing. Always use the hotel safes.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2522) on Saturday, November 4, 2006 - 11:19 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We stayed at Captain Don's in September (junior Suite) and they had installed electronic room safes large enough to put laptops and cameras etc in.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim (BonaireTalker - Post #52) on Saturday, November 4, 2006 - 11:57 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Inside Jobs? I don't know.

The truly discouraging part to me as a new resident is that everytime I talk about particular incidents with long-time locals; they always have the same thing to say:

"The cops know who did it; but they won't arrest/prosecute, etc."

I've heard that from more than a couple people here. But on this note, another news article I came across today, dealing with Bonaire becoming a Dutch city had this interesting quote:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/03/europe/EU_GEN_Netherlands_Antilles.php

"In a statement, the Dutch Interior Ministry said part of the deal involved substantial reforms to police and prosecution offices throughout the region.

"But before this new system comes, police standards will have to be improved," the ministry said."

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By lisa z (BonaireTalker - Post #89) on Sunday, November 5, 2006 - 9:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We were in Bonaire this past October. We were speaking to a few of the local divemasters who we have come to know quite well from our previous trips. They said that drugs are now a big problem on Bonaire. What their idea of "big" is, I really don't know, but when the drugs become a big problem, there will be more theft.
When we go to Bonaire, we only take essentials. and we definitely use the safe at all times.
Let's face it. Crime on Bonaire is a fact of life. We just need to use our heads.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #639) on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 - 4:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

We have been to Bonaire 4 times and have never had any problems. We always use the safe, never leave doors or window open when we are gone, also pull the curtains. Never leave anything outside when we are gone or asleep. We never leave anything of any value in our rental truck. But then we take these same precautions at home. Crime has increased everywhere in the last few years, even here in the boonies. On the whole we believe Bonaire is one of the safest islands we have been to.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Teresa Hemphill (BonaireTalker - Post #24) on Tuesday, November 7, 2006 - 5:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We have been to Bonaire several times yearly for the past 12 years and have NEVER had a problem. Crime is everywhere, not just Bonaire or the Caribbean. Common sense needs to be practiced at home as well.

 


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