Speeches

Workshop on Visitor Safety

Remarks by Ambassador John Darrell Rood

22 September 2005

 

I would first like to thank Minister Wilchcombe for inviting me and my colleagues to this inaugural workshop on visitor safety.  Visitor safety is a vitally important matter for both of our countries.

I am pleased that The Bahamas is taking such an innovative approach to visitor safety.  The fact that so many stakeholders are represented here today -- the Ministry of Tourism, Royal Bahamas Police Force, the business community, the hotel association, and others -- underscores the importance of visitor safety and how seriously The Bahamas takes the issue. 

I am unaware of any other program like this anywhere else in the world.  This workshop is just one of the many ways that The Bahamas shows its commitment to safety and security.  We are grateful to be part of the team.

The overwhelming majority of the more than four million American citizens who visit The Bahamas each year have safe, enjoyable vacations.  Whether they come by cruise ship or plane, nearly all U.S. visitors enjoy the beauty of The Bahamas and then return safely to their homes in the United States. 

One of my most solemn duties as Ambassador, however, is working to protect Americans abroad. 

This commitment extends beyond the Embassy and the Department of State to the entire U.S. government.  Nothing gets more immediate interest from the U.S. Congress, for example, than when Americans are victims of crime while traveling abroad.  This year alone, we have received nearly thirty inquiries from members of Congress regarding specific cases involving their constituents.

Our strategy to promote visitor safety breaks down into three parts: to prevent criminal acts from occurring; to provide assistance to the victims; and to see that complaints are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.  I'll talk about some of these elements, and then my Embassy colleagues will cover them in more detail.

Many of the Americans who visit The Bahamas are inexperienced international travelers.  This is often their first time outside of the United States.  Families come here with their children.  Young people come with their friends during breaks from school.

These inexperienced travelers are increasingly more concerned about safety.  The recent events in Aruba have made everyone more careful.  Parents are especially keeping a keen eye on where their children are going.

As a result, more and more travelers investigate the safety and security of their destination before making their travel plans.  This offers a valuable opportunity to inform visitors about local conditions and to encourage responsible behavior that will reduce their vulnerabilities and help prevent crime.

Every U.S. Embassy puts out an information sheet on the security situation in their host country.  These sheets describe the local environment and provide suggestions for how tourists can avoid problems.  These reports are getting more attention than ever from potential visitors, travel professionals and the press.  They are an important part of our prevention efforts. 

The second part of our strategy is victims assistance.  Unfortunately, one rarely stops by the Embassy to say they are having a great vacation.  When we see a traveler, they are usually having a problem.  They may have been robbed, been the victim of a violent crime or a sexual assault, or have lost a loved one.   It is important to keep perspective and realize that this group is in the minority.  But it is also important to remember that these are the people who most need our help.

No matter how much prevention we do, we will all largely be judged on how well we assist those in need.  The sheer number of visitors The Bahamas hosts each year makes it all but inevitable that some number of them will be victims of crime.  We must acknowledge that reality so that we are properly mobilized to provide assistance to victims.  The Embassy has a special responsibility toward American visitors, one that we attempt to carry out with sensitivity and forthrightness.

I have been personally moved by the many stories I have heard from American victims.  Young girls subjected to cruel assaults, yet willing to make statements and give evidence so that their attackers can be brought to justice.  They deserve our deepest concern and every bit of assistance we can provide.      

Finally, an important part of visitor safety is swiftly providing justice when a crime does occur.  The Embassy stands ready to act as a liaison with the police, calming and protecting the victim so that all the necessary statements and evidence can be gathered.  Because they are in an unfamiliar environment, both the victim and any American witnesses tend to be comforted once an Embassy officer gets involved, which allows the investigation to proceed more smoothly.

The Embassy, particularly our security office and our FBI representative, makes resources and training available to Bahamian law enforcement officials as appropriate, to support them in their important work. 

We do our best to work together.  We all share the same basic goal: keeping people safe and happy.  Not just visitors, but Bahamians as well.  Most criminals will not limit their crimes to just visitors.  They prey upon the vulnerable. 

While this is the first of what I hope will become regular meetings of the Visitor Safety and Security Board, this is not the first time we have worked together as a team.  I have met with many of the people in this room and discussed these issues. The Embassy as a whole already enjoys great cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, the Police, and the local tourist businesses.

We are prepared to do our part as a member of the team and stand ready to help in any way we can.  We are already providing training, expertise and assistance for a variety of safety issues.  My colleagues here-- Dave Hazarian the Embassy’s Assistant Regional Security Officer, Kevin O’Grady, the Assistant Legal Attaché from the FBI, and Michael Honigstein, the vice-consul who is responsible for American Citizen Services, will go into more detail about exactly how we are involved and where we think we can help in the future.

As I said at the beginning of my remarks, I have not heard of a workshop like this being done anywhere else.  By working together, we can make this program an example for the entire region.  By building on the results of this workshop, we can ensure that The Bahamas continues to be known as a safe and friendly destination for travelers.