Police are warning Bahamians to be vigilant as reports of armed robberies continue to increase on New Providence.
Several armed robberies were reported over the weekend by police.
Police Superintendent Stephen Dean said since the beginning of the year police have noticed an increase in armed robberies on the island. He sent out a warning earlier on January 9 advising of the increase.
Over the weekend police reported three separate armed robberies on the island as well as several shooting incidents and yesterday’s armed robbery that resulted in the murder of a Haitian woman.
The first incident happened around 5 p.m. on Friday.
Police said a woman was walking east on Shirley Street when a man armed with a handgun and driving a black car pulled up alongside her and robbed her of her cash and cellphone.
Later that night police said a man was at Patton Street when an armed man approached him and robbed him of his black 2010
Honda Accord.
On Saturday, around 3 a.m., police said a woman was at her residence on Boyd Road when a man armed with a handgun broke into her home and robbed her of two computers and her 1997 Toyota Corsa.
Dean said if people see anything suspicious happening to give police a call.
“We’d rather come to a non-police crime than come to the scene of a crime,” said Dean at an event on Saturday.
He continued, “Any incidence of an armed robbery is a concern to police because that was high on our ticket last year and that is something we’ve given priority to this year.
“So once we see a trend we are going to do some things.
“We have been arresting a number of people and we continue to issue warnings to our people.”
He said police are being vigilant but added that Bahamians should not take anything for granted.
Dean said if you have to walk, walk in well lit areas where people are and to be aware of your surroundings.
On January 14 the United States Embassy in Nassau warned Americans living in and traveling to New Providence to be aware of recent reports of an increase in reported armed robberies following Dean’s earlier warnings last month.
It warned U.S. citizens that shootings, sexual assaults and rapes also continue to persist in Nassau.
By Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Guardian Staff Reporter
