By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’s Confederation (BCCEC) called on the police to increase patrols in all commercial areas after a downtown incident captured on camera.

Footage appeared to show two women running after a man downtown. One of the women fell while the other tried to stop the man from running away. However, the man jumped through a car window and drove off.

Police said the incident, which occurred around 2.30 pm on Sunday, was not an armed robbery but a fare dispute between a taxi driver and a passenger. The dispute ended with the passenger being put out of the taxi.

The passenger received minor injuries and was treated by medical personnel. The taxi driver was taken into police custody and is assisting with the investigation.

The BCCEC inaccurately referred to the incident as a daytime robbery, adding that increased police patrols in all commercial areas would “protect members of the public visitors and businesses, especially as we approach the busy shopping and tourist season.”

“Instances like these are particularly concerning as everyday Bahamians, the business community and tourists are exposed to such violence,” the chamber said. “To arrest this issue, the government needs to prioritize security and minimize the economic fallout for the country if crimes against tourists persist.”

The BCCEC also welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the government through tourism and law enforcement by providing business mapping for heavily saturated areas and filtering the direct concerns from members concerning lighting, patrols, vagrants, blind spots and other safety issues.