(PartiallyPolitics.com) – The U.S. State Department has issued a cautionary notice to individuals planning trips to the Bahamas, highlighting concerns over elevated crime levels in the region. Particularly, the advisory points to New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands as areas with a significant incidence of criminal activity. Tourists are advised to exercise extra caution in Nassau’s “Over the Hill” area (located south of Shirley Street), which has seen a rise in gang-related violence, primarily impacting the local community and contributing to an increased rate of homicides.
Travelers venturing to the Bahamas are urged to adopt safety measures, such as verifying the identity of visitors before opening hotel room doors and avoiding resistance during robbery attempts. The advisory underscores that violent crimes, including break-ins, armed thefts, and sexual assaults, are not confined to non-touristic locales but can also occur in areas frequented by visitors. It also highlights the need for heightened awareness when staying in short-term vacation rentals that may lack the security presence offered by private firms.
This warning follows a security notice from the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas, which reported 18 murders in Nassau since the beginning of the year, occurring at various times, including daylight hours, with gang retaliation being a key driver behind the violence in 2024.
In a related development, during a visit to the Bahamas in the summer of 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a substantial aid package exceeding $100 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at the Bahamas. This initiative is intended to tackle issues related to climate change, energy, food security, and provide humanitarian aid in the Caribbean. The funding announcement was made in the context of the Vice President’s efforts to strengthen ties with Caribbean nations, as evidenced by her co-hosting of the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting with Prime Minister Philip Davis of The Bahamas, who is also the current chair of the Caribbean Community. This meeting built upon previous discussions held with Caribbean leaders at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in June 2022.
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