By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A GREATER police presence in the Downtown area is the result of the heightened security needs of visitors and residents in the Bahamas, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday.

He said the crime measure was sure to send a message that the government takes safety seriously.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Wilchcombe said: “I think it’s going to send a very strong message to all concerned whether it’s in the Bahamas or outside of the Bahamas that we take the issues very seriously and that we are responding to their concerns.

“We are a peaceful nation and we want the world to know that. Incidents of the past we want to put behind us and move forward.”

In early August, Mr Wilchcombe alerted Parliamentarians to the possibility of the Bahamas being labelled an unsafe destination because of the crimes committed against visitors.

At the time he said: “In some cases we have received reports where visitors came on shore, but didn’t bring any of their materials of wealth, any funds or any jewellery and that was because they were afraid.

“That has an impact on our shops, it has an impact on our restaurants, it has an impact on vendors. So again it returns us to the position that we as a people must be responsible for the peaceful way of our country. And those persons who are engaging in crime, they must know that they are doing damage to our Bahamas.”

The week before, a 15-year-old female tourist was raped. At least three US officials have been robbed during the past months

Tourists visiting Downtown Nassau have been robbed several times including a group who were robbed at a nightclub on Navy Lion Road.

In May, two masked men entered 25 North and robbed visitors as well as several Bahamians of their cash and other personal items.

A man who witnessed the robbery, but did not want to be identified, told The Tribune at the time that the experience made him question whether he would ever return to the Bahamas.