The United States Department of State has issued a new warning for the Bahamas and Americans who intend to travel to the country. The warning comes as the islands see a spike in violent crime that has impacted the local population.
The advisory was issued on Jan. 26 and warned travelers to “exercise increased caution” if they are planning on going to the Caribbean country.
The crime hitting the country is burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, according to the State Department.
As for where the crime is happening, the advisory says the majority of the criminal activity has happened on the island of New Providence, home of the country’s capital, Nassau, and the island of Grand Bahama.
The spike in violent crime is happening all across the areas as well, with the state department saying to be aware in “both tourist and non-tourist areas.”
“In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the ‘Over the Hill’ area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population,” the government alert states.
The State Department says travelers should be “vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence.”
U.S. travelers are also being cautioned to steer clear of activities like boat tours with commercial recreational watercraft, partly because they are “not consistently regulated.
“Watercraft may be poorly maintained, and some operators may not have safety certifications. Always review and heed local weather and marine alerts before engaging in water-based activities,” the State Department shared in its notice. “Commercial watercraft operators have discretion to operate their vessels regardless of weather forecasts; injuries and fatalities have occurred. Due to these safety concerns, U.S. government personnel are not permitted to use independently operated jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.”
For additional information on the travel advisory, visit the State Department’s website here.