With crime rates steadily rising in TCI the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association is appealing to the newly appointed Administration and Governor the Excellency Dr. John Freeman to urgently address the matter before the destination’s leading industry is severely affected.
With 2,080 crimes reported by the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force between the period January to September 2016,87 of these crimes involving crimes against visitors,along with the more recent shooting incident involving TCHTA’s Allied member and TCI businessman Galmo Williams, TCHTA is urging both parties to better equip the local Police Force in order for them to perform more effectively.
Praising the Force for having an increased presence along the Grace Bay tourist area, TCHTA’s Board of Directors stated, “The increased presence is welcomed but more must be done and at a much higher level to address this troubling situation.
Police can patrol the area but if they aren’t equipped with the necessary resources or if their manpower is limited then the issue remains. We need the persons at the top, including the Premier and the Governor to engage the country’s influential Associations in some serious dialogue to find solutions which will work to address and alleviate the growing crime level.“
The Board also noted, “This is a critical situation because not only are crimes being committed against our visitors but because we live in an age now where news is real-time. A visitor who is robbed will share the story instantly with their friends and family via social media and will no doubt warn them against the dangers they have encountered in the TCI.
This then endangers our product and the brand we have worked so hard to develop. It puts our tourism product and our reputation of being a safe tourist destination at great risk. Over the past five years our Association and its members have put measures in place to assist the destination with combatting the crime situation, including donations to the Police Force and the installation of CCTV cameras along the Grace Bay tourist area. However, our hands are tied at this point because there is only so much our members can afford to contribute towards. At some juncture, there must be national dialogue between all partners, where a serious and detailed analysis of the threat is given and a workable solution found which includes educating our society about how negatively crime affects the industry.”
With the Association predicting a busy Winter 2017/2018 the Board is hoping that the meetings can be held soon to craft out a way forward.
