If the level of crime in the Bahamas continues, the US Embassy may have to review its policy on how it advises visitors coming to the country, US Ambassador John Rood told The Tribune in an exclusive interview at the embassy yesterday.
However, the ambassador said he hopes a situation is not created in the country where two tiers of safety exist and Bahamians and tourists receive the same level of protection against crime.
“The three restaurant robberies this year were shocking to me and to many people. The fact that people can come into a restaurant and hold up all patrons is truly terrifying and it is a potentially dangerous situation and if it continues it is going to hurt these small businesses,” Mr Rood said.
In October, police announced the establishment of a tourism task force unit.
The move was made to save the country’s main industry from “pillagers, hawkers and other touristic leeches” among other things.
The object is to keep crime away from visitors, who provide the lifeblood of the national economy, and bring swift justice to offenders.
Mr Rood said that while he applauded what tourism officials and police are doing to ensure that visitors have a safe and crime-free vacation, he also felt that both countries should work as friends and partners to help police build a capacity to create a crime-fee Bahamas.
“One of the things I have seen as a traveller around the world is often a two-tier system evolves, one to protect the tourists who bring in significant financial resources and who are a significant portion of the economy and then there is a second tier for the local population. “The concern I have is that
we want the Bahamas to be strong, prosperous for all Bahamians, and we want that to reach all Bahamians.
“If this country were to evolve like so many countries have evolved, where tourists – come and spend their time in an enclave, in a protected area, it cuts off the economic benefits to many people that otherwise would have enjoyed it if the entire country were crime-free,” Mr Rood said.
He said a government minister recently mentioned to him that the Bahamas was 10 years behind Jamaica.
“(The minister said) that he was in Jamaica 10 years ago and, when he mentioned to his host that there were bars on the windows, his host laughed and said: ‘Wait 10 years and you’ll have bars on the windows in the Bahamas.’
“I hope that in 10 years we don’t see the type of secured area for tourist in the Bahamas that we now see in Jamaica. It would be unfortunate for the majority of Bahamians and for the visitors because the joy and wonder of this place is meeting Bahamians and seeing what a beautiful culture it is. It is not just being put on one island and segregated from the rest of the population,” Mr Rood said.
Bahamian law enforcement, he said, was among the best in the world but, like most law enforcement agencies around the world, faces funding issues.
“We have the same issues in Florida. Governments only have a small amount of resources and they have to decide where these resources are spent. With more money they could do more.
“Whether more money is appropriate is not my decision, it’s the decision of the government of the Bahamas,” the ambassador said.
Mr Rood said that law enforcement officials US personnel have had the opportunity to work with are “first class”.
“I think that is why Bahamians feel comfortable and visitors feel comfortable. As the country grows I hope the number of police keeps up with the population and the number of visitors that are here.
“I was in the Turks and Caicos yesterday and I noted that the Turks and Caicos recently gave police a 30 per cent increase in salaries as they found that their officers were being recruited into other Caribbean countries.
“There is such a demand for quality officers that a lot of Caribbean counties are going outside to find officers to serve. I hope the Bahamas is aware of this and does what it can to keep up with the market,” Mr Rood said.
By RUPERT MISSICK Jr Chief Reporter
