Post Recreated: Originally posted - 05 March 2003
Just a thought: Driving allover the island with all those suzukis, spending a lot of money and importing our way of live, we shouldn't forget to ask sometimes ourselfs, which "danger" we mean to the security of those beautyfull people living there. We can't and should not expect a perferct resort.
Security
-
Henrietta
Security
Post Recreated: Originally posted - 09 March 2003
I am the woman who posted the note on the Lonely Planet. I am 28 years old, black female lawyer who was on holiday with 3 female friends. We did not chat anyone up, lead them on, tell them where we staying or invite trouble. I and my friends are well travelled and smart people. I could not bring myself not to tell people to be aware and safe. We were viciously attacked and theft was not on the agenda as they tried to drag a 4 month pregnant woman into the shadows even though she pleaded. I raised the alarm just in time but too late for one of us. I am an African so all too aware of the dangers of the wealthy and not so but robbery was not the motive. We wanted the experience away from a hotel, which we got until our final night. Our problem was the way the police dealt with the whole matter, and failed to report the events as we told them and then the attempts to hush us up right up until we were boarding the plane. Tobago for me was all I hoped for from a holiday, I had never been to the Caribbean before and it was Paradise I am not going to pretend this did not happen because if this happens again the next people may not be so lucky!
I am the woman who posted the note on the Lonely Planet. I am 28 years old, black female lawyer who was on holiday with 3 female friends. We did not chat anyone up, lead them on, tell them where we staying or invite trouble. I and my friends are well travelled and smart people. I could not bring myself not to tell people to be aware and safe. We were viciously attacked and theft was not on the agenda as they tried to drag a 4 month pregnant woman into the shadows even though she pleaded. I raised the alarm just in time but too late for one of us. I am an African so all too aware of the dangers of the wealthy and not so but robbery was not the motive. We wanted the experience away from a hotel, which we got until our final night. Our problem was the way the police dealt with the whole matter, and failed to report the events as we told them and then the attempts to hush us up right up until we were boarding the plane. Tobago for me was all I hoped for from a holiday, I had never been to the Caribbean before and it was Paradise I am not going to pretend this did not happen because if this happens again the next people may not be so lucky!
-
Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Security
Post Recreated: Originally posted - 09 March 2003
Hello Henrietta
What happened to you and your friends can obviously not be condoned and the perpetrators must obviously be caught and severely punished. Although it was your first visit, I am sure you learnt enough about the island to know that this incident was a total exception and that Tobago is, as a general rule, a very, very safe destination. Yes, I can believe that the police tried to hush things up – simply because this case was so exceptional. However, if you read the T&T newspapers, you will realise just how seriously the authorities take the issue of crime and the really hard sentences that they give to perpetrators. Yes, you are quite right to warn people to be careful, but I totally reiterate the advise I give everyone – you need take no more care that you would at home. I bet that very few of us live in ‘safer’ places than Tobago.
Hello Henrietta
What happened to you and your friends can obviously not be condoned and the perpetrators must obviously be caught and severely punished. Although it was your first visit, I am sure you learnt enough about the island to know that this incident was a total exception and that Tobago is, as a general rule, a very, very safe destination. Yes, I can believe that the police tried to hush things up – simply because this case was so exceptional. However, if you read the T&T newspapers, you will realise just how seriously the authorities take the issue of crime and the really hard sentences that they give to perpetrators. Yes, you are quite right to warn people to be careful, but I totally reiterate the advise I give everyone – you need take no more care that you would at home. I bet that very few of us live in ‘safer’ places than Tobago.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
-
Chrissy Galore
Security
Post Recreated: Originally posted - 09 March 2003
Unfortunately, crime is a fact of life almost everywhere. But reading these posts and the ones further down the board, I feel that the main issue is the way the police (didn't) handle it. In many places in the US (including my town), police are known to be a bit corrupt. I would not base my opinion of a place on one crime incident, but the reaction of the police is definitely a turnoff. If, as Steve says, the event was so unusual, I imagine that the police (and other islanders in general) would have reacted MASSIVELY - "unusual" events are usually splashed over the papers, and local talk, by the next day! I wonder how much of Steve's/Glyn's/others' opinions are incorrect as a result of all the other events which may happen, but which they DON'T hear about from the police? Henrietta, I am sorry to hear about what happened. I hope that your friend is all right. Please post the name of the town and the place of lodging, so that others know to avoid it.
Chrissy
Unfortunately, crime is a fact of life almost everywhere. But reading these posts and the ones further down the board, I feel that the main issue is the way the police (didn't) handle it. In many places in the US (including my town), police are known to be a bit corrupt. I would not base my opinion of a place on one crime incident, but the reaction of the police is definitely a turnoff. If, as Steve says, the event was so unusual, I imagine that the police (and other islanders in general) would have reacted MASSIVELY - "unusual" events are usually splashed over the papers, and local talk, by the next day! I wonder how much of Steve's/Glyn's/others' opinions are incorrect as a result of all the other events which may happen, but which they DON'T hear about from the police? Henrietta, I am sorry to hear about what happened. I hope that your friend is all right. Please post the name of the town and the place of lodging, so that others know to avoid it.
Chrissy
-
Glyn Kirpalani
- Tobago Fanatic
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:27 pm
- Location: Norfolk, UK
Security
Post Recreated: Originally posted - 10 March 2003
Chrissy and Henrietta,
I know nothing of the unfortunate incident that happened and hope it doesn't happen again. However, I must defend the police in general (even if they did mess up this time, as is alleged), since whenever a tourist is robbed etc in Tobago it hits the local press reports - believe me I have read them, and they are both rare and hence don't hold back on the details. There is no deliberate attempt to cover up that I am aware of - police boast of their arrests, the courts come down hard and the newspapers trumpet the results - all sends a message to potential criminals, and crime is very low, possibly and partially as a result of this.
Last year a Royal Navy sailor was mugged in Port of Spain when off his ship, and so concerned were the police that they persuaded a judge to hold an unprecedented Sunday hearing to convict the mugger, since the ship was leaving that night. I did once suffer a burglary to my holiday home in Tobago - not bad considering it has been mainly empty for over a year and sits surrounded on three sides by forest. That was on the saturday night. On the sunday morning the police went straight to a suspects house (island is so small they know the few crims), arrested him and retrieved my stereo, then the next day he received 5 years hard labour for his troubles. The police could not help enough (even though I was 5,000 miles away).
They don't get it right all the time, but none of us are perfect.
Regards,
Chrissy and Henrietta,
I know nothing of the unfortunate incident that happened and hope it doesn't happen again. However, I must defend the police in general (even if they did mess up this time, as is alleged), since whenever a tourist is robbed etc in Tobago it hits the local press reports - believe me I have read them, and they are both rare and hence don't hold back on the details. There is no deliberate attempt to cover up that I am aware of - police boast of their arrests, the courts come down hard and the newspapers trumpet the results - all sends a message to potential criminals, and crime is very low, possibly and partially as a result of this.
Last year a Royal Navy sailor was mugged in Port of Spain when off his ship, and so concerned were the police that they persuaded a judge to hold an unprecedented Sunday hearing to convict the mugger, since the ship was leaving that night. I did once suffer a burglary to my holiday home in Tobago - not bad considering it has been mainly empty for over a year and sits surrounded on three sides by forest. That was on the saturday night. On the sunday morning the police went straight to a suspects house (island is so small they know the few crims), arrested him and retrieved my stereo, then the next day he received 5 years hard labour for his troubles. The police could not help enough (even though I was 5,000 miles away).
They don't get it right all the time, but none of us are perfect.
Regards,
Glyn Kirpalani
-
Helen
Security
Post Recreated: Originally posted - 10 March 2003
Henrietta - so sorry to read what happened to you on the LP site. Having spent a wonderful 2 weeks in Tobago in early Feb I'm also very disppointed that you didn't find it the friendly, welcoming place that I did (for the most part certainly!). The brief description you gave of a machete armed attack in a rented villa sounds remarkably similar to the experience a friend's parents had in Tobago last year, which she warned me about prior to my visit. I will ask her the details of where/when it happened and email you if you'd like to give me your address. Before others jump on my back, I certainly don't mean to be alarmist (we had a wonderful, safe time as I'm sure do nearly all visitors to the island) but if their experience could be of assistance to Henrietta and their friends hat can only be helpful I think.
Henrietta - so sorry to read what happened to you on the LP site. Having spent a wonderful 2 weeks in Tobago in early Feb I'm also very disppointed that you didn't find it the friendly, welcoming place that I did (for the most part certainly!). The brief description you gave of a machete armed attack in a rented villa sounds remarkably similar to the experience a friend's parents had in Tobago last year, which she warned me about prior to my visit. I will ask her the details of where/when it happened and email you if you'd like to give me your address. Before others jump on my back, I certainly don't mean to be alarmist (we had a wonderful, safe time as I'm sure do nearly all visitors to the island) but if their experience could be of assistance to Henrietta and their friends hat can only be helpful I think.
-
Horst Heiser
Hallo,
just found this part of the forum. We are part-time-Tobagonions since 11 years. (Excuse our basic English, most time we have to speak coconut-english)
So much people ask about crime or security on Tobago.Iguess the most people can´t imagine the paece they can find on Tobago.Yes, there are criminals.Yes, we heard about rearly bad incidents.
But : We also know about the local people, who hunted some thiefs and did not wait for the judje.
Tobago is not paridise. But a REAL slice of it.
Don´t damage Tobago. Just to see Your words in the forum.
Thank You
Sylvia & Horst
just found this part of the forum. We are part-time-Tobagonions since 11 years. (Excuse our basic English, most time we have to speak coconut-english)
So much people ask about crime or security on Tobago.Iguess the most people can´t imagine the paece they can find on Tobago.Yes, there are criminals.Yes, we heard about rearly bad incidents.
But : We also know about the local people, who hunted some thiefs and did not wait for the judje.
Tobago is not paridise. But a REAL slice of it.
Don´t damage Tobago. Just to see Your words in the forum.
Thank You
Sylvia & Horst