Crime in Curacao
It is fairly well known in the Netherlands that Curacao has it’s share of crime. In the media, unfortunately, it is often shown that the island would not be safe. In reality, what it comes down to is that Curacao, like other countries, simply has some rotten apples. Since it has only 150,000 inhabitants, the percentage is very high.
Is it a reason not to go or come to live and work on holidays? Absolutely not.
Crime, like in every country, is something to be dealt with which primarily means you should be alert to possible dangerous situations and try to avoid them.
Preventions against being a crime victim
Becoming a victim of robberies or other crimes is not 100% preventable. However, there are ways to reduce the risk:
Stay (especially at night) away from the wrong neighborhoods. That sounds logical, but it is sometimes difficult to distinguish where a “good neighborhood” stops and a “bad” begins. This is often shown by the kind of houses and whether the roads are passable.
Near the areas where many tourists come the possibly less save areas include the neighborhoods such as Koraalspecht, Marie Pampoen, Stone Rich and Otrobanda. In these areas avoid mainly small streets and in the evening don’t go roam the streets or go to an ATM by yourself.
When you walk through the city, it is always wise to walk in a group.
In a bar or at snek it is best to not show your money and expensive goods you have on you. Walking the streets with your iPad and a fat wallet for everyone to see is clearly not advisable.
Be respectful to people on the street and do not insult or provoke local residents. Curacao inhabitants – like anybode else – don’t like it and it can lead to unpleasant situations here.
Keep your eye on your belongings. Do not leave your bag unattended at a bar or chair while looking at the beach. Tourist beaches such as Sea Aquarium Beach and Jan Thiel Beach have a lot of security, but it is always wise to protect yourself and your belongings.
Cars
Don’t leave your car on an unguarded parking lot for the night and make sure you don’t leave valuables in sight. The use of a steering lock on Curacao pretty normal since car theft is an issue on the island.
To summarize: Do not go looking for risky situations and act as you would not do in the Netherlands. Than you will continue to enjoy all the beauty that Curacao has to offer and you will have a memorable – and crime free – pleasant experience!
