Barbados & Grenada 2018 Crime & Safety Report According to the current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication, Barbados has been assessed as Level 1: exercise normal precautions. According to the current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication, Grenada has been assessed as Level 1: exercise normal precautions. Overall Crime and Safety Situation U.S. Embassy Bridgetown does not assume responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the persons or firms appearing in this report. The American Citizens’ Services unit (ACS) cannot recommend a particular individual or location, and assumes no responsibility for the quality of service provided. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Barbados as being a HIGH-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Grenada as being a MEDIUM-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Please review OSAC’s Barbados-specific page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Tourism is a major contributor to regional economies. The islands’ news media outlets seem reluctant to report criminal incidents against visitors that could have a negative impact on the tourism industry. Crime Threats Crime is a major concern throughout the Eastern Caribbean. Generally, individuals or groups are free to travel with few restrictions. Robberies and other crimes committed in high traffic business areas are usually opportunistic in nature. Americans visiting the Eastern Caribbean are not targeted for crime to a greater extent than other foreigners. A common concern is visitor harassment. Individuals and groups in tourist areas will offer a variety of items for sale, including drugs. The islands to which the U.S. Embassy is accredited are not officially rated for crime but are considered similar to Barbados and Grenada in terms of criminality. In general, travel outside of tourist areas should be undertaken with caution, especially at night, due to the prevalence of unmarked and unlighted roads. Be vigilant when using public telephones or ATMs, especially those located near roadsides or in secluded areas. Visitors should use caution in dealing with beach merchants. Burglaries of residences generally occur by exploiting a vulnerability (unlocked doors/windows, substandard door/window grilles, and poor/non-existent outdoor lighting). Although hotels and 1 resorts are generally safe, loss of unattended items is possible. Hotel burglaries may occur in less reputable hotels, and all valuables should be locked in room safes when possible. Resorts, hotels, and other businesses that cater to tourists provide additional security measures, including: walled-in compounds with access controls, private security staff, background checks on employees, and hired drivers for safe transport of guests. Some American tourists alleged that they were the victims of “date rape” drugs (such as rohypnol “roofies”, PCP, scopolamine, etc.), slipped into their drinks or food in furtherance of criminal activity. Visitors should be mindful and not leave drinks or food unattended while at public venues. For more information, please review OSAC’s Report “Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad.” Below is a snapshot of 2017 statistics, tracking eight primary categories. As the visual representation indicates, there are significant numbers of residential burglaries, drug-related crimes and sexual assaults. The first table and graph show 2017 statistics adjusted per 100,000 people, allowing for an accurate comparison of crime issues between countries. The next tables show five years of historical data for each of the seven islands, illustrating developing local trends. 2017 Reported Statistics per 100,000 Citizens: Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Country Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes Antigua & 22 16 31 124 17 83 387 54 Barbuda Barbados 11 4 60 84 29 361 567 41 Dominica 17 6 135 101 17 907 163 93 Grenada 9 0 182 54 3 858 684 0 St. Kitts & Nevis 56 4 80 106 93 574 504 22 St. Lucia 16 0 138 216 18 248 138 93 St. Vincent & the 36 8 215 70 38 476 247 17 Grenadines Graphical Representation of reported 2017 statistics, per 100,000 citizens: 2 Per Capita Comparison A - 2017 1000 800 600 Vehicle Thefts Drug Related Crimes 400 Residential Burglaries Shootings Robberies 200 Sexual Assaults Kidnappings 0 Murders Murders Kidnappings Sexual Assaults Robberies Shootings Residential Burglaries Drug Related Crimes Vehicle Thefts Per Capita Comparison B - 2017 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 Antigua & Barbuda Barbados Dominica Grenada St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent & the Grenadines Murders Kidnappings Sexual Assaults Robberies Shootings Residential Burglaries Drug Related Crimes Vehicle Thefts Below are notable crime statistics provided by the police departments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the past five years. 3 Antigua and Barbuda (population ~ 90,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 20 14 28 112 15 75 348 49 2016 8 2 58 76 12 17 231 15 2015 5 4 54 111 13 30 208 18 2014 13 1 55 241 19 11 195 31 2013 12 2 38 155 24 15 239 - Barbados (population ~ 285,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 30 10 172 239 84 1030 1617 116 2016 22 12 182 186 55 1029 1605 105 2015 28 14 194 300 34 1029 1190 111 2014 25 3 167 285 33 1187 655 92 2013 24 8 183 372 25 1601 879 63 Dominica (population ~ 72,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 12 4 97 73 12 653 117 67 2016 10 4 83 64 15 831 16 56 2015 9 2 96 73 10 907 109 79 2014 9 3 110 85 15 842 159 62 2013 12 6 128 62 4 899 189 51 Grenada (population ~ 106,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 10 0 193 57 3 910 725 0 2016 10 0 273 55 6 941 740 - 2015 6 0 212 76 0 996 756 - 2014 8 0 112 64 0 1040 576 - 2013 6 0 183 90 0 1271 572 - St. Kitts and Nevis (population ~ 54,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 22 1 55 81 49 314 396 0 2016 30 2 43 57 50 310 272 12 2015 27 3 33 65 46 142 204 12 4 2014 24 0 33 54 32 196 230 3 2013 21 0 61 56 33 362 299 2 St. Lucia (population ~ 182,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 53 13 296 311 29 984 338 209 2016 30 0 252 394 32 452 252 170 2015 28 0 250 111 26 403 119 144 2014 30 0 274 29 25 491 90 144 2013 32 0 276 95 51 662 132 209 St. Vincent and the Grenadines (population ~ 110,000): Drug Sexual Residential Vehicle Year Murders Kidnappings Robberies Shootings Related Assaults Burglaries Thefts Crimes 2017 40 4 262 69 42 565 278 24 2016 40 9 236 77 42 524 272 19 2015 26 1 196 86 21 597 359 17 2014 38 3 228 80 28 704 388 21 2013 24 12 229 149 52 948 340 30 Cybersecurity Issues Cyber security incidents continue to rise worldwide. Cyber security attacks are frequently directed at public institutions, financial institutions and critical infrastructure. Many of the Eastern Caribbean police forces are ill-equipped to prevent and investigate these types of attacks and intrusions. In recent years, the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) experienced several attacks against its website, and government websites were targets of attacks in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Antigua and Barbuda. The governments of the Eastern Caribbean appear to be taking some steps to develop better investigative infrastructure for cyber incidents as evidenced by the 2017 opening of the Regional Security Systems Digital Forensic Laboratory, significantly enhancing their ability to investigate crimes with a digital nexus. Nevertheless, digital security remains a concern in the region, particularly with ATM fraud, credit card fraud, and other cybercrimes. For more information, please review OSAC’s Report, “The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud.” 5 Transportation-Safety Situation For more information, please review OSAC’s Report, “Security in Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights.” Road Safety and Road Conditions Road conditions on the main coastal highways in Barbados and other Eastern Caribbean islands are adequate but may deteriorate rapidly on smaller roads in the interior. Smaller roads are often narrow with poor visibility, particularly in curves. These roads are also generally not marked, and informal signs at road junctions, particularly on small inland roads, are often the only way to find your way to your destination. For more information on self-driving, please review OSAC’s Report “Driving Overseas: Best Practices.” Public Transportation Conditions There is a public transportation system owned and operated by the government of Barbados. Their large blue and yellow buses operate on a routine schedule. Buses are required to stop only at designated stops on assigned routes, which are clearly marked. There are also smaller, privately-owned buses. These transit buses are frequently involved in vehicle accidents, as they often speed through traffic and are known to stop without notice in order to pick up/drop off passengers.