I do not understand why anyone would want to live/cruise in area where people feel so threatened to put razor wire around their property, have trained 'attack dogs' & readily discuss how to dispose of a body.
There must be another side to this, why else would people venture down there.
I don't know if you will understand my reasons for living in the Caribbean, but here they are.
Originally I am from the Netherlands, which is very wet, depressing and way too busy (already in the 80's). Unfortunately during the winter season I was mostly sick, which meant I could not fly that much. I have had that all my life, it is something I have to live with. So when I had the chance to go to the Caribbean I instantly liked it (always warm), but I first had to find out what that was all about.
So got a couple of videos about life on Curacao. Nothing about the criminal nature of the island, all you see is sun, sea and happiness.
And that part is still there. It is always nice weather, no need for winter clothes and best of all: I was almost never sick. The flying was great and I actually got paid for that.
The crime was a not so nice part. 8 Burglaries in the first year is not what you plan for, but after I took my defense measures it became quiet. Most of the burglars were drug addicts who need money so they can buy drugs. However, they will always take the house which is easier to break into. The whole neighborhood knew my house had turned into a fortress with vicious dogs inside. And they will spread the word, so that brought me some safety.
After my first tour I went back to Europe, but instantly got the same health issues. So when I got the opportunity to go back I did not have to think twice.
Knowing what I would encounter I searched for a house in a gated area. That gave a lot of protection, so lived there in peace and quiet. Going out on the other hand was a different story, but when you live on the island you will know exactly where you can go and where you cannot go. The areas where you cannot go.........you just don't go. However, when you have to work 6 days a week you also don't go out every single day. Although there are many tourists on the island, for us it is work, we live there, it is not a constant party.
Over the years however crime has become more violent. Where we had mostly burglars in the 80's and 90's we now have a new generation for whom a human life has no value. They have not had any upbringing and what they had was by their criminal parents. And this new generation will do armed robberies with a lot of violence. That caused me to leave the island in the beginning of the 2000's, we had 90+ murders in one year on an island with only 130.000 inhabitants. Drive by shootings, murders in broad daylight on the street, it became too much.
So I left, but had to deal again with the bad weather in Europe. In 2009 I decided to go back to Curacao, it had calmed down a bit. But after Corona it seemed like the criminals had to make up for lost time. Where in the beginning of the new millennium they went after businesses, they now decided to start robbing houses with violence. And as a white person you stand out on the island, which means you are a target.
Luckily we had the chance to retire and spend most of the year on our boat in the Med. The Med is still peaceful and quiet, temperatures in summer are perfect, we just need to get through the few winter months.
We still miss the perfect climate of the Caribbean, but we don't miss the crime.
And as for getting rid of the body. That is something you will learn when you live on the island. Too many people who defended their house, their family were thrown in jail for 'excessive force' or even 'murder' after they killed a robber.
A friend of mine (owner of a restaurant) was shot and killed by a 16 year old during a robbery, another friend saw his business go down the drain when criminals killed 2 persons in his restaurant during an armed robbery. The brother of another friend went to jail when he shot and killed a robber in his business.
However, the neighbor of a colleague simply shot and killed a robber, shoved him on the street and closed his doors. He was never charged, nobody said a word and the police never really investigated.
Quite often you read in the newspaper that a 'body' has been found, but they never figure out what happened. Some chollers (drug addicts) simply disappear one day, nobody knows where they went.
In other words, when you live on the island you need to think about what you are going to do if push comes to shove. Let's say you are in your house and one or more persons enter the house, rape your wife, beat you up, perhaps want to kill you. What will you do ? If you have to think about it when it happens it is too late.
Your defense has to be build up in such a way that you will know what to do if a certain line is crossed. Some people do nothing, others do act and that is their decision.
Luckily I never had to get to that point, but my dogs have attacked a few persons that had entered the terrain without permission. We have found blood trails in the garden and on the driveway, but never found out who they took apart. Criminals don't have the habit of walking to the police to complain. They tend to keep their mouth shut. We never heard anything as it happened while we were asleep.
When you live in a safe country hearing these stories makes you wonder why anyone would want to live there. But once you adapt to the threat and be conscious about your safety you will be fine. Choosing the right place to live is very important as is keeping a very low profile.