NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Prime Minister Philip Davis urges the native media to maintain crime off the entrance pages amid issues that the vacationer sector, the lifeblood of the chain of islands, may very well be severely affected.
The US Embassy right here has issued a safety alert on crime in The Bahamas, and the following worldwide reporting has highlighted the state of affairs right here.
Davis stated a plan of motion is underway, with the federal government making ready to launch an aggressive marketing campaign to advertise and shield the nation’s fame.
“You see the advisory that went out the opposite day? How has that taken legs? We at the moment are listening to some issues concerning the falloff in tourism,” Davis advised non secular leaders on Monday as he mentioned his administration’s plans to cope with the crime.
“Proper now, the motels are seeing some fall off, however extra importantly, those that are within the motels at this time should not popping out into the neighborhood. They’re not going to the eating places, for instance. They’re not going sightseeing as they used to,” he stated.
In fact, the lodge homeowners don’t thoughts as a result of so long as they keep within the motels … they’re spending all of it there. So right here once more, we’re capturing ourselves in our foot by permitting this to get out of hand.
“What is occurring on this nation will not be solely occurring right here. When you go to Jamaica, they’d over 70 murders in lower than three and a half weeks. Trinidad over 100 …”
The Bahamas has recorded 25 murders up to now this yr, with police saying most of the murders are gang-related.
Davis urged the press to grasp their function in sustaining the nation’s fame, saying that different nations give much less prominence to sure crimes than the native media does.
“I need to name upon the press to be delicate. I believe they need to see their function as making an attempt to assist the nation. I’m not saying to report, however it could make a distinction the place you report.
And all I ask them to do is test to see the place their crime report is. Examine Trinidad, the USA, and see the place it’s. It’s by no means on the entrance web page.
“However each bullet fired seems to be entrance web page information on our day by day information. And what occurs, AP picks it up, Reuters decide it up, and what occurs, and it’s persevering with,” Prime Minister Davis stated.
He stated that the long-promised anti-gang laws will probably be launched subsequent week.
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