Bahamas police push to reduce violence as US Embassy warns of spike

• Authorities in the Bahamas are intensifying efforts to combat crime following a security alert from the U.S. Embassy.
• The number of reported killings escalated to 19, prompting police to hold a news conference discussing recent operations.
• The U.S. Embassy attributes most of the crime to “retaliatory gang violence” on the islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama.

Authorities in the Bahamas say they are cracking down on crime after the U.S. Embassy issued a security alert warning that the archipelago has reported at least 18 slayings so far this year.

The number of reported killings rose to 19 over the weekend, with police holding a news conference on Sunday to talk about recent operations that led to the seizure of weapons, ammunition and drugs. None of the killings have targeted any foreigners.

The U.S. Embassy said that most of the crime has occurred on the islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama, with “retaliatory gang violence” behind most of the killings.

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“Murders have occurred at all hours, including in broad daylight on the streets,” it said in a statement last week.

The Caribbean Sea surrounding the Exumas is seen from an airplane on June 15, 2012, in the Bahamas. Authorities in the Bahamas say they are cracking down on crime after the U.S. Embassy issued a security alert warning that the archipelago has reported at least 18 slayings so far this year. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)

U.S. officials said the local population is the one primarily affected by the high homicide rate.

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The number of homicides reported in the archipelago of roughly 400,000 people last year weren’t immediately available, but killings increased by 8% from 2021 to 2022, with 128 slayings reported, up from 119, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.