VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBH #0735 3342237
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 302237Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0062
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000735 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DS/TIA/ITA 
DS/IP/WHA 
DS/TIA/OSAC 
AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PASS TO AMEMBASSY GRENADA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/30 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BF CASC ASEC
SUBJECT: NASSAU: CRIMES TARGETING TOURISTS MAY BE CONNECTED 
 
REF: NASSAU 695; NASSAU 531; NASSAU 113 
 
DERIVED FROM: DSCG 05-1 D 
 
¶1. (C)  Eighteen tourists were robbed at gunpoint while on a 
popular eco-tour on New Providence November 20.  The same day in 
separate incidents, two tourists were robbed in the down town area; 
one incident occurring near the U.S. Embassy.  On November 23 a 
U.S. citizen was allegedly assaulted and robbed inside the Wyndham 
Hotel, Cable Beach.  These incidents come in the wake of a stream 
of violent crimes committed in tourist areas and perpetrated 
against tourists in Nassau.  The Minister of National Security, 
Tommy Turnquest, reported that the crimes may be connected and the 
police are following "significant leads."  He said a "person of 
interest" was in police custody but that further information could 
not be provided so as not to jeopardize the investigation. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (C) Tourists have criticized the police response after the 
Queen's Staircase (Ref A) and eco-tour robberies, calling the 
response a "police academy comedy" and the interview process a 
"waste of time."  In a press conference, the GCOB said it made 
every effort to help tourist crime victims.  Director General of 
Tourism, Vernice Walkine, acknowledged during the conference that 
it was becoming increasingly difficult to protect tourists from 
crime and that it was hard to keep such incidents from reaching 
potential tourists.  Disney and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines both 
reportedly cancelled the eco-tour excursion from their list of 
available tours. 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) Because tourists represent easy, vulnerable targets, similar 
crimes are likely to continue unless Police presence is 
significantly increased in popular tourist areas.  The owner of one 
tour company acknowledged that "these criminals know the police 
aren't there [tourist areas] and they target it."  Tourists have 
begun posting videos of their ordeals on websites such as YouTube 
which might affect vacationers choice of Nassau as a holiday 
destination.  The eco-tour robbery also received press coverage in 
Florida, the closest U.S. tourist market to The Bahamas. 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) COMMENT: The  GCOB worries that the frequency of crimes, 
especially against tourists, will cause the U.S. to issue a travel 
warning on The Bahamas.  The public outcry, including calls to 
replace the Minister of National Security, and threat of a U.S. 
travel warning may force the GCOB to take steps to address the 
serious crime problem in Nassau. 
ZUNIGA-BROWN