The Facts About Crime in The Bahamas

What is Safe Bahamas?

The Birth of the Safe Bahamas Initiative.

The Role of Safe Bahamas in the Fight Against Crime

The Management Structure

The Nuts & Bolts:
How Will it Work?

Crime Indicators	Social Indicators
	58% of Violent crimes are commited by persons while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
	Nearly 100,000 births out of wedlock since 1970
	Almost 2 out of 3 prisoners have been there before
	41% of school seniors have no plans on graduation

The Price We Pay

Businesses, government, individuals….no one can escape the high psychological and economic toll which we all pay for crime and living in an undisciplined society.

• Virtually every Bahamian family has been touched by crime, either directly or in sympathy with friends and loved ones who have experienced its impact.
• An estimated 85% of households have security bars, alarm systems or some form of security.
• Businesses tack on an estimated 5% to their annual operating costs for security, insurance, theft and pilferage.
• Bahamians pay higher taxes through increasing costs to maintain police, prisons, courts, support services and huge healthcare costs associated with crime and social decay.
• The fear of crime wears on our nation's citizens, impacting productivity, health and general well-being.
• All too many children are shortchanged as they are reared on the streets and by television.
  

Where Will It Lead?

Left unchecked, criminal activity could have the potential to destroy The Bahamas as we know it. Heightened criminal activity would force more innocent citizens to live in fear behind burglar bars. Higher levels of theft and white collar crime would increase the cost of
living by raising the cost of doing business.

Increased incidence of crimes against persons could have a devastating impact on tourism,
the mainstay of our economy, driving unem-ployment to unacceptable levels.

In such a frightening scenario, Government revenues would shrink, placing an even
heavier burden on essential public services. Investment capital would disappear and busi-nesses which invested heavily in better days would be left scrambling to meet substantial obligations.

It is a scenario that could occur over a period of time or virtually overnight.