Violent crime is on the rise in Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas, according to year-end statistics. Most of the killings are related to the drug trade and tourists are rarely affected, the Associated Press reported, although a few high-profile cases have had a dampening effect on tourism.
The murder rate in the Bahamas hit an all-time high in 2009, with 82 people killed, and killings also were near record highs in Jamaica (1,660 murders in 2009), Puerto Rico (890-plus killings), and Trinidad and Tobago (489 homicides).
Some experts say that the trend could worsen as the U.S. cracks down on drug smuggling at the Mexican border and could overwhelm Caribbean police and justice officials. Crime and the environment are two issues that more Caribbean governments are going to have to start taking more seriously if they are going to sustain their largely tourism-based economies into the new decade...