and............................?

I American, but have been traveling to the Bahamas for over 30 years and I love it. I love the people and the culture. I would go so far to say I would trade places with you, but it isn't the same place anymore. My mom and I walked all over the island and hitched rides. We went to eight mile rock. We were welcome in peoples homes. Women fed us like we were family. I loved it. What happened! I'm not even sure it's safe to visit as a tourist. Believe me if tourist's are afraid to visit, they won't. Your not going to save your money for a vacation and visit somewhere your not sure your safe. The economy is not doing well in the islands, tourist could help that. And why can't police get a hold on the crime, the islands are not that big. Everyone knows everyone. It is really sad. I miss visiting and going where you guys go. When I travel I like to see the culture, eat the food of the island and get to know the people. I pray that it changes back to more of welcoming environment. We love you guys.

Well the crime here is scary, but in the tourist areas are safe. While I hear what you are saying, our crime is mostly internal and very isolated, our economy isn't doing great, and this hurricane will slow it down, but we've been doing better. I do agree that we in general as a people are slightly less welcoming then we once were, but I do not think that is a product of the crime here in the Bahamas. The murder rate is going down, and as an honest local, not wrapped up in any theft, or gang I never fear for my life. I hope you come visit soon - and look beyond this story.

I grew up on New Providence. I attended Xavier and St. Augustines. It was a great place back then. Now has the highest crime rate in the Caribbean. It's rated baed on the metrics, not opinions, more dangerous than Iran. the Ukraine and even Detroit - the former murder capital of the world.
No it's neither isolated nor internal. Tourists are victimized frequently. The crime rate is escalating at rates that should be alarming but strangely, are not being effectively addressed.
The crime rate in Nassau has escalated largely due to the manner in which government fails to deal effectively deal with crime and criminals and the tourism industry hides the problem. Harsh sentences and more transparency is needed.
Eventually, the tourism industry will become the target of agencies and countries that take a stand against the dangerous, life threatening environment in the Bahamas. The head in the sand approach isn't working.
Money talks and when the tourism industry in the Bahamas suffers, it will be too late to be proactive and get a handle of the two best strategies to curb crime and the death of tourism.
Officials in the Bahamas have a very bad habit of denying the problem of crime. Each tourist victimized by indigenous thugs is told by police that, "this has never happened before." How about not lying to victims of crime? They can simply look it up and find that they were lied to and then do what intelligent people do. Ask themselves why? What do these equivalents of mall cops have to gain by lying?
That kind of deceit deserves the negative press coming from around the world. Nothing will change until the bottom line is severely, adversely affected.
The first step is give the death penalty, not a counterproductive sentences like we saw in the sentencing phases of the murder trial of a US soldier.
At the same time, the government needs to armed decoys, mercenaries if necessary, into the population who shoot to kill. It's not harsh, it's how these criminals learn to take their trade some place else or be buried on boot hill.
Here's one possible scenario of how this will all go terribly out of control for the not too bring people behind this failure to communicate - to thugs and tourists alike.
Once the conspiracy theorists get busy, expect to see the story floated that the crime rate is not uncontrolled, that is very closely controlled and facilitated by the current methods employed by the government and tourism industry. No proof will be needed. It's never needed for conspiracies to get started and perpetuate. However that's not to say proof won't be suggested, such as in government is directly benefitting from the criminal enterprise in the Bahamas as in, the thugs work for them. The tourism industry hides the crime rate to provide a constant supply of easy targets for criminals.

The Honda Fit was burned up on West Cemetery Lane aka Moseley Lane. Nobody been to get it yet. Fire Dept came to out da fire but no police. I guess they all busy in the station.

It appears as if a new dose of anger and violence have been poured on young Bahamian men. When three grown men would go and assasinate another man in front of five young children. Not only injuring them but scaring them mentally for the rest of their lives. And to hear that the apparent motive for the slaughtering was not even confirmed. Just to witness some of the anger displayed in road rage over the two weeks after the hurricane. It seems some people would rather kill or injure people who don't give up their right of way or even rights otherwise.

Unless and until the death penalty is used more for sentencing in murder cases nothing will change. First of all it reduces the population of murderers who will never be rehabilitated and the correction system doesn't correct anything. It breeds more violent and sophisticated criminals. Until the government employs more violence to combat violence, the thugs will go happily on their way, raping, robbing and murdering. Decoys are needed who are trained to kill killers. Nothing will get better until the problem of crime and criminals is dealt with more "effectively."