Serious crime statistics for the bay islands

[ontdiver]

The other issue that comes to mind in many problem areas of the world is that crime is generally under-reported, often by a significant margin. A case in point is this excerpt from a June 24, 2014 US State Department travel Warning for Honduras (Honduras Travel Warning) "Since 2010, Honduras has had the highest murder rate in the world.The Honduran Ministry of Security recorded a homicide rate of 75.6 per 100,000 people in 2013, while the National Violence Observatory, an academic research institution based out of Honduras’ National Public University, reports that the 2013 murder rate was 79 murders per 100,000 people." While these numbers may not be wholly accurate - and do not necessarily reflect the level of crime on the Bay Islands - you don't want to dismiss them either.

 

[drrich2]

Growing up, I was under the impression that big urban metropolises were seedy hotbeds of violent crimes - openly menacing gangs, etc… It seemed that on t.v. or in the movies, if I saw people on a subway, someone was going to get accosted by about 3 punks. You ride the subway, someone tries to mug you!

Then in college I was told about the 'southern subculture of violence' (I think they called it - been a long time ago!), and I learned that, proportional to population, the south I was raised in had higher rates of some violent crime (I'm thinking homicide, but I don't recall exactly after so long).

Here's a website (I found Googling and have no experience with) letting me compare murder rates. I spent part of my childhood in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and of course on t.v. New York City is seems to be where everybody gets mugged at some point. So, the homicide rates?

Pine Bluff - 24.

NYC - 6. The site says you are 74.2% less likely to get murdered in NYC than PB.

I'm not fan of major urban centers. I grew up around a lot of nature, and tend to view the very large cities kind of like cancers on the planet, but by the numbers, my odds of getting killed in one are probably less. Whether life is as much worth living in one is another issue, I suppose.

Richard.

 

[Lorenzoid]

The other issue that comes to mind in many problem areas of the world is that crime is generally under-reported, often by a significant margin. A case in point is this excerpt from a June 24, 2014 US State Department travel Warning for Honduras (Honduras Travel Warning) "Since 2010, Honduras has had the highest murder rate in the world.The Honduran Ministry of Security recorded a homicide rate of 75.6 per 100,000 people in 2013, while the National Violence Observatory, an academic research institution based out of Honduras’ National Public University, reports that the 2013 murder rate was 79 murders per 100,000 people." While these numbers may not be wholly accurate - and do not necessarily reflect the level of crime on the Bay Islands - you don't want to dismiss them either.

"Do not necessarily reflect the level of crime on the Bay Islands"?! I have to believe that if one took Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula out of the stats, Honduras would hardly register as a hotbed of crime. The Bay Islands are a paradise of tranquility compared with those crime-ridden cesspools.

 

[DogDiver]

Most resorts have private security. I know CoCo View does. K-9 units also. They use a retired Honduran General who started his own security company. They are very discrete and are in the shadows during the day. And visible at night if you know were to look. We never bother to lock our door there.


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[Kharon]

... (especially petty theft), the police do a lousy job at catching thieves and people in the bay islands are very concerned about it but lets put it in context with other places we divers visit.

I don't think police anywhere have a great case closure rate on theft. In NYC I'm not sure that they even file a report. My impression of the Caribbean is that there is a fair amount of inter-island transience. Makes it hard for the cops.

 

[zeppelindiver]

It seems to me that a lot of the disagreements on these forums about the relative safety of the various dive destinations comes from a couple of factors. Firstly, statistics can be made to prove almost any argument that you want, it all depends on the baseline assumptions used and the relative weighting of the variables. There is an old saying "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics!" Being a trained mathematician & Chartered Accountant from Canada I see this every day. Like the old accounting joke also goes " What is 1 plus 1? Answer: What do you want it to be?"

Secondly, far too many opinions are presented as being facts when they are actually just that person's opinion. The opinions are often based on limited or no personal experience whatsoever and colored by third hand reports or those oh so trustworthy government statistics. The opinions are further influenced by the particular individuals' own tolerance for risk and aversion to taking chances. Fear is a powerful motivator for many people and often drives the need to be able to justify the choices that are being made.

We can all point to dangerous destinations everywhere in the world and argue both sides of the fence as to the relative safety of every destination. In the end, we should all go on vacation to destinations that fit our own risk tolerance profile & travel carefully, using common sense. After all, this is supposed to be a holiday!

 

[NWA395]

This was our recent experience staying in WB in June. Every evening we walked the beach to go to dinner at various establishments. The walk back albeit early, was in the dark.

At no time did we feel any more danger or apprehension than walking our own street at home.

We kept our sobriety and common sense and enjoyed what the island had to offer.

My wife (who is an absolute chicken) felt safer in RTB at night than in Jamaica at night.

Roatan just like any other destination, is a place where you will find whatever it is you are looking for.

Common sense regards.

 

[laurenceh]

personally when i travel i like to go to local bars and restaurants, i like to wander the streets and i like to fraternize with locals. to me thats part of the joy of travel, meeting foreigners and seeing foreign places.
exploring mainland honduras has been a joy for me over the years, there is so much natural beauty, the locals are warm and friendly and other than at the mayan ruins in copan, you're likely to be the only tourist around.
i would never go to a resort or dive place and then not leave the grounds (unless it was a live aboard) but to each their own.

 

[Lorenzoid]

personally when i travel i like to go to local bars and restaurants, i like to wander the streets and i like to fraternize with locals. to me thats part of the joy of travel, meeting foreigners and seeing foreign places.
exploring mainland honduras has been a joy for me over the years, there is so much natural beauty, the locals are warm and friendly and other than at the mayan ruins in copan, you're likely to be the only tourist around.
i would never go to a resort or dive place and then not leave the grounds (unless it was a live aboard) but to each their own.

I dunno, man. I'm like you in that I enjoy wandering and meeting people, and I've wandered through a good bit of C. America and Mexico, but the streets of San Pedro Sula gave me the willies like nowhere else (okay, maybe Guatemala City). I arrived by bus and started out for a walk and shortly turned around--some sixth sense told me I was not safe. La Ceiba, Trujillo, Copan, and of course Roatan--none gave me that feeling of dread. Every country has its dodgy places. I spent a couple of weeks in West End some years ago, and I admit to doing things that could have made me a target, but I was fortunate that nothing happened. These days I'm more cautious about things like befriending random locals over cups of firewater and walking home late at night. I used to spurn resorts as being for people who didn't really care to experience the foreign country they were in, but I've warmed to resorts. It's nice to be able to let my guard down and relax--that can be one of the great joys of vacation.

 

[grantwiscour]

Speaking of crime...here in the "perfectly safe" U.S., Irving Texas to be more specific...I went out this morning to go to work and some jackarse had stolen the tailgate off of my truck. Dangit!