I was out at 1000 steps Thurs afternoon. No one else was there and I had a beautiful dive. As always car was unlocked and windows down. When I came back the large safety sausage left in car was unraveled and the contents of glove box were on the seat. Nothing taken but it still pisses me off. On the other hand it is our 5th trip to Bonaire and the 1st time this has happened.
Until the authorities on Bonaire take positive steps to prevent this it will be a black mark on a wonderful island. It woulld only take one or two arrests for the message to get out that this petty theft was no longer tolerated.
can anyone point me in the right direction so I can send a letter? If enough people wrote to the proper authority maybe something would be done.
BTW- I reported it but didnt fill out a report since nothing stolen.

Terry,
I feel your pain. My travel buddies have both had items stolen from our truck at Witches Hut. I, personally, do not leave valuables in the truck (if my dive buddies want to, that's their business), but it upsets me too to find everything in the truck has been searched through when we return after a dive. We were told by a local that it did not do any good to contact the Police -- even though we saw 2 suspicious individuals at Witches Hut -- and I would bet you a Bushwacker at Buddy's they took my friends watch.

Also, on my last visit, I saw lots of shattered glass (I assume from car windows) at Andrea I. In my years of going to Bonaire, I have not seen an improvement in crime at the dive sites.

Witches hut is notorious for break in's due to the lack of visibility of your vehicle from the water.

Terry, there is a list of phone numbers to call on island, let me search for it later and will post if I can find it.

Just adding my 2 cents here..........after being on the island for 2 weeks - seeing and hearing about other crimes/problems on the island that are much bigger then car breakins. I have a feeling patrolling dive sites is very low on the police radar. I would not like my car broken into, don't get me wrong, but i have to believe with the limited police force and having to deal with the size of the island some things will take a back seat.
The time I was there, while driving, I saw the police handling a family problem, a break in at a local store, and the down plane for drugs.
Again, my gut feeling is the police may be thinking, "dive the shore dives at your own risk". I realize many years ago we could leave doors unlock, cars unlucked and even go to bed at night with things open. The times they have changed. You look at other islands and you are seeing the same thing.
Shoot when I pick up the paper at home, there are breakins on cars almost everyday and in very visible areas. When I was a liittle kid my family was vacationing in Canada and my Mom and I were in A&P shopping - when we came out there was a guy trying to unlock the truck. He had a key ring that must have had 100 or so keys. The car was parked right outside the door, people were passing by, don't you think someone would have seen this, nope. It wasn't till we were exiting and my Mom saw it and yelled, he ran. So, the question is - did he pick this car because we were from NY???? figuring we would something he might want he the truck???? Tourists make for good picking??? Who knows. But, the probably the case on Bonaire - people go to the remote sites leave stuff in the car and the fun begins.

So my friends I don't have any advise on what to do - but just take precautions.

Terry & Garrett I agree 100% with everything you said! Same thing happened to us at red slave site. There are over 60 dive sites on the island, but there are only a few that are notorious for break-ins....it would be nice if the police could maybe just concentrate on those sites & drive by them whenever they get the opportunity. Does anyone if the dive folks (the abbreviation is no where to be found in my brain at the moment...STNAPTA? maybe?) that drive around & check your tags could have any power in this area, maybe help the police? Maybe they already do, I really don't know, have been approached by them a couple of times while preparing to dive....very nice group of people! As Terry states it would probably only take a couple of arrests to get the word out.

I have another thought but it probably is not worth suggesting since it requires time and effort by the dive ops/hotels on the island.
I think most people agree the police are relatively useless in preventing breakins. Too much area to cover and not enough incentive. The diveops/hotels however have a lot to lose. With very little effort-say 1 employee once a month- they could set up a random system to observe sites perhaps with a camera and forward this info to police or higher local authority. An added bonus is they may know the criminals or at least be able to identify them.
As I said too unrealistic-not because it can't be done easily but because it requires an effort that no one cares to make.
I, like most here, will continue to dive Bonaire and maybe that is the crux of the problem.
okay off soapbox!

Good idea Terry, but its sad to say, you're probably right regarding making an effort. And as you said we will continue to dive Bonaire also. But there are those who, if violated by thieves, will not feel its worth a return trip & they'll tell their friends, fellow divers & people they meet...and those who have never been to Bonaire may make the decision to not come at all if they hear stories of theft at dive sites. As I posted in another thread regarding this issue, my local dive shop is very aware of this issue, its happened to some of them, they didn't like it, and have no problem telling their customers about it, so word does get around.

It is the old sales adage regarding customer service...when you have a great experience you will tell a few folks, when you have a terrible one...you tell EVERYBODY on the planet that you encounter, whether they asked or not.

Bonaire diving/tourism survives and thrives on positive 'word of mouth'. I only wish I were wealthy enough to visit Bonaire as often as a lot of others can, but the increase in reported incidents since my last visit (especially under the mods past stringent requirement for police reports) has not gone un-noticed by me or anyone else following Bonaire Talk.

nuff said.

ugh...sorry, but the topic of patrolling sites has been disgusting ad museum. never going to happen. If you really want something like this, write to the government authorities (as we have done several times in the past) and let them know your thoughts, or boycott the island.

trish, unfortunately a few arrests have been made in the past with no reduction in thefts. the thieves are given a light sentence and sent back home. then they do it again. one business owner (who shall remain unnamed) had the suggestion that they should have a decent sized ship at the pier and as the thieves are caught they can be put on the ship. once a good number of the thieves are on the ship it could be sent to curacao...and sunk half way there.

ok...drowning a bunch of people for petty theft is ridiculous but the comment from that business person shows the frustration that everybody has over this problem.

i'm not sure of the size of the bonaire police department but the city where i used to work had a police force of about 35-40 officers. the city had about the same population as bonaire but was less than 5 square miles. bonaire is 110 square miles so even if they had almost 100 police officers it would be very hard to patrol the entire island effectively.

LOL Pat, You had me going there for a minute...I was thinking ok, they have some type of detention facility on Curacao...this idea could work...LOL. I share the business owners frustration! Your statistics are a great point Pat, but they don't have to patrol the entire island. The park takes up a lot of the island & then there's the low crime areas, barren areas, etc...couldn't they just focus on the notorious areas? I would consider this type of thing to be an important issue, Bonaire depends on tourism & once a place gets a bad reputation, well that's just a real hard thing to shake.

Um, Billy Joe, what does this mean? Am I missing something?

"disgusting ad museum"

A 5dollar fee charged as either a security fee perweek at each hotel-have to include the private home renters somehow, increase the marine park fee, or any number of other methods would pay for the individuals needed.
A bigger problem is the light sentences mentioned above.

Kelly.... discussed ad nauseam ??????

possible translation glitch

'disgusted ad nauseam': my vote is with the writer being 'disgusted' that this problem exists 'ad nauseam'. :–)

I just think the writer doesn't like going to the museum.

Billy Joe...nice to see you around buddy!
I am impressed..them's some fancy words!
..you been busy gettin' your schoolin'?

don't be such a stranger!
LOL

We just returned from Bonaire yesterday and had a really wonderful time. The only glitch in our stay was that our trucks were also robbed while diving at White Slave. We knew this could be a problem, so we had brought really cheap $5 sun glasses, old shoes and old shorts and t-shirts, etc... They took everything. I was really unhappy not to have any clothes to change into after the dive but I was really unhappy about losing was my "Shut Up and Dive" t-shirt. It was from a Panama City, FL dive shop. So, if you see anyone wearing it on the island, you know they are a thief. Who would have thought someone would take your old clothes? It was not a big loss, but you still feel funny about someone taking your stuff.

It sounds as if this type of crime is becoming far more prevalent and spoiling the good name of Bonaire amongst the diving fraternity. I cannot believe it would be too difficult for the police to do something about it.

Trevor, I have to respectfully disagree about Bonaire's reputation being spoiled "among the diving fraternity." Knowing full well the problems the island faces, we continue to look forward to our next visit. I know many members of our local diving community feel the same way. No place is perfect and, overall, Bonaire provides an excellent diving opportunity.

The allure of diving Bonaire is the freedom from boat diving. Yes the petty theft problem continues (and really sucks....I'd like to take stuff in the truck with me for between dives), but it isn't going to keep away divers who value the freedom of such fantastic shore diving. It is all just a matter of balancing the plusses and the minuses and then approaching the situation with a bit of foresight and planning. So far, the plusses win out in my book.

Now, if the quality of the reefs diminishes significantly, then perhaps the scales tip to the side of not wanting to visit Bonaire. But, for now....the inconvenience of not taking amenities in the truck to the dive site (or taking stuff you expect to be stolen) is far outweighed by the limitless opportunities to independently shore dive at will.

you're right...the petty theft does suck. but compare bonaire to other islands. violent crime is virtually non-existent. on jamaica and other islands you are often warned not to leave the resort. on many other islands you are hounded by beggars and vendors if you wander on your own. granted, a better police presence would be appreciated by everyone but in the meantime, use common sense (gee, has anyone mentioned that before?) and don't leave anything in your car. leave the car unlocked and the windows down. report suspicious activity. lock your hotel rooms when you leave and keep valuables out of sight. hopefully, the situation will improve but in the meantime, make the best of what we have and just enjoy bonaire.

freddie, a translation glitch? are you sure? i thought the disgusting ad museum was a new tourist attraction.

lol Pat I should have recognised the poster...LOL I believe it was typed on porpoise

Hi Lizard I cannot see that I have said anything that is not consistent with your comments. Over the last three years during which I have been spending long periods on the island it does appear that this petty crime has become more prevalent. If this is so then surely it must spoil the good name of Bonaire. I am not saying divers would not come here. All I am saying is that if this type of crime is on the increase then the authorities should try to nip it in the bud. Your comment, 'SO FAR the plusses win out' Let us try to keep it that way.
Pat, I agree with you, but it is nice to have a towel some clothes to put on. Unfortunately Mona lost the lot. I wear prescription glasses for driving and a prescription mask for diving. I do not want to take my driving glasses diving with me so I have to leave them somewhere in the truck.I am very security conscious and try to do everything to reduce the risk of being a victim. You mention Jamaica. I lived there for five and a half years and experienced on a daily basis the things you describe and that is why I now love Bonaire.

Trevor,

Might I suggest you purchase one of the "tube type" waterproof containers sold at the dive shops for your glasses and take them with you on your dives. I have used one for several years for my prescription sunglasses with good results, no leaks. I also use a rectangular otter box for cash, drivers license and credit card. However, unlike the tube types, it sometimes leaks, especially if something gets over the gasket.

this is what I use above and below to carry my licence and money on the island. I have a clip I use and have use one for a long time

Trevor (or is it Lee? ;-) I also wear script sunglasses. I have a soft case (like a sock, or you could just use a sock, would be cheaper...lol) that I put them in and slip them in my BC pocket.

I've purposely left a flamingo hat (not yours Freddie) for an entire week on the seat and got no takers. Thank goodness Rona's daughter Em loved it so I gave it to her...

BJ, where is this ad museum?

The ad museum is located just off eck-settera street in the Pacific (as in "be more Pacific in your answer") district hear Hato.

Mona,
I too have a "Shut up and Dive" tee shirt, so if you see me around, it wasn't me. Although I believe mine has the logo from the South Carolina dive shop where I bought it.

OK, after six trips to Bonaire I have observed certain patterns of behavior around some dive sites. Witches hut area and red slave in the south. I dont want to profile but several times I've parked and observed vehicles that didn't have a buddy dive sticker on the side, and looked a little rough(as does my old pickup). However they were cruising very slowly and checking us out. I only leave flips and a shirt in the truck so no loss, but pack a big camera and strobes. Every time this occurs I make an effort to take a picture of their vehicle and make no secret of it. I've gotten some ugly stares and a few signs that Im number one, but maybe if all of us started doing this it would discourage the thieves and give the cops a base of vehicle photos and plate #s

I do that too. I always thought I was #1. Nice to be noticed, isn't it? I wonder if the cops could/would make use of a CD with those pics on it. Is there any place that would take such?

damn right,even if you dont have a camera-- point anything! they are not sure if its a cell cam. this is a small island.everyone knows everyone--and they dont like thieves

Bruce, that is a great idea! We will certainly join you and retired grunt on the "we're number 1" team! We too have seen vehicles that we just knew were scoping us out to rip us off! We give em the if looks could kill stare, but a photo....well that's just perfect!

Hey, the group could have annual meetings & compare photos....I'm sure we'd share many of the same people & vehicles....

I have had three trips to Bonaire . I remember years and years ago , maybe 1989 I heard about Divers Paradise . My first question was "you mean it is safe to leave your stuff in your vehicle while you dive ???


The reply was you leave nothing but your tanks .
I thought it was weird you could leave your tanks in a vehicle on the beach without getting them stolen .


Twelve or so years later when I went I thought nothing of the process of leaving unwanted stuff and tanks only , windows down.

I have seen the broken glass at most sites and I have observed shady vehicles cruising the sites .
On my third trip our vehicle was ransacked as predicted . Only thing they took was my buddy's shore diving made easy book .


We should be happy they do not steal our trucks so we don't have to walk back .


As I have posted here a few times before , the worst thing to happen me on bonaire was the damn dengue fever , now that is something to really watch out for and fear , the theft , the least of my worries , by the way , how is the dengue situation ?

I ran across this product that might be useful for those who shore dive. Seems like it might be a good solution to the car thefts. I can't get the image to post but here's the link:

http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/307800.jpg

Ok . I love Bonaire and know enough to work around the problem. I do have a lot of friends who travel and dive who say that they don't go to Bonaire because of the crime.

Not doing anything hurts tourism, no doubt.

Well, we have been to Bonaire 10 times and not experienced any crime but there is always a first time. We leave nothing in our cars that we worry about losing.

Anthony**, I am not being facetious but friends who "travel and dive a lot but won't go to Bonaire because of the crime" leaves me baffled. I travel around the world and dive and quite honestly have never visited any where in the world with LESS crime! Crime is horrible no matter where or how small, it is still a violation but the crime on Bonaire, although a bit disturbing is nothing in magnitude compared to anywhere else in the world. Would you mind telling us about places that have no or less crime than Bonaire, perhaps I will consider going there.

R.A... Maybe his friends went to Jamaica, Central America, The USVI's or Mexico..

We've been to Bonaire about 6 times in the past 3-4 years and never once felt unsafe at any time. We once left our dive computer on the dock, a rather expensive piece of equipment, and I was impressed that it was still there in the morning. Someone could have easily taken it and we would of never known. Likewise, we lost a passport and it was found and returned by a local. From our experiences, Bonaire's locals as well as their dive tourists seem to be honest, polite, and very helpful. Crime is everywhere but if a car break in is all I need to worry about, that's an easy one to live with.

It's better than being pan handled, solicited to buy drugs or pick pocketed. But no matter where you visit for vacation, it's always wise to just use plain old common sense and you should be okay You're friends are missing out on a great dive vacation and experience.

I happen to agree with you R. and Vince

That is why I always come to Bonaire and defends it's reputation.( and bring new people each trip)

Don't shoot the messenger.

I agree Anthony and I don't mean to shoot the messenger I apologize if my post came across the wrong way. We just brought some friends to Bonaire last trip, non divers, and they loved it! Just out of curiosity, where do your friends dive?

Anthony** I was just curious, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to visit a place that sounds too good to be true!

I'm not a fan of firearms and my aim is pretty bad, so no shooting the messenger from me! (okay maybe with a marshmallow gun!

Vince you forgot Colombia!

R.A.

Come dive Long Island with us.

PS We can go to a Yankee game after the dive.

Anthony**, I grew up in Westchester but live in California now. Cold water diving does not exist in my vocabulary any more!! LOL

I am still a Yankee fan though! But from what I hear I'd have to sell my car to afford a seat at the new stadium! AND 125th Street is kind of a scary place....I better bring my marshmallow gun!

Thanks R.A.

Funny thing is tickets can be a good deal on StubHub.com the day before a game.

It's not that scary. Funny thing is I lived in NY my whole life , grew up in Brooklyn and live on Long Island now. I go to 10 -15 Yankee games every year. I have never been a victim of even a petty crime in New York or Bonaire.

It is only a matter of knowing where to be, how to act, and to be careful as the situation warrants. Like leaving your windows open , and no valuables in the car.)

RosAnne cold water diving......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA........

CB....I knew you'd like that one!!

Thanks for letting me tease you, buddy!

After a few items went missing from my car on St. Croix I baited it with cheap sunglasses............smeared with habanero (sp?) sauce and a tee shirt with dried chili powder around the neck. All done while wearing rubber gloves on my hands.

We were on the east end and on the drive back to town we saw a car stopped beside the road with a guy pouring water on his face. :-)

GREAT IDEA Nancy!!!

I love the idea. Maybe we can market it....