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Crime and safety
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During the 1980s and early 1990s Nassau suffered a small wave of gun violence, mostly as a result of the drug trade. These days things have calmed down and the tourist-friendly zones around Nassau, Cable Beach, Paradise Island and Freeport-Lucaya are fairly
safe
. Nevertheless,
petty crimes
like hotel-room theft and pickpocketing do occur. Visitors should exercise caution in Nassau after dark and avoid suburbs like Over-the-Hill and Fox, which still have problems. Drug dealers may also frequent touristed areas, and visitors should be aware that Bahamian
drug laws
are harsher than those in North America or Europe, with long prison sentences always a possibility.
The streets of Nassau and Freeport tend to empty out rather early in the evening, and visitors, especially women, should avoid venturing out alone there after dark. Places like the neighbourhood Over-the-Hill in Nassau have experienced a recent spurt of gun violence , and tourists should exercise reasonable precautions before heading out alone.
The
emergency number
for police and ambulance is 911. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Bahamas |