While Anguilla's crime rate is relatively low, both petty and violent crimes have been known to occur.
Petty street crime does occur, and valuables left unattended on beaches, in rental cars or in hotel rooms are vulnerable to theft. There has been an increase in crime in Antigua, including violent crimes. However, this increase has not, for the most part, affected visitors to the island. Visitors to Antigua and Barbuda are advised to be alert and maintain the same level of personal security used when visiting major U.S. cities.
The crime threat in Aruba is generally considered low. There have been incidents of theft from hotel rooms and armed robberies have been known to occur. Valuables left unattended on beaches, in cars and in hotel lobbies are easy targets for theft. Car theft, especially that of rental vehicles for joy riding and stripping, can occur. Parents of young travelers should be aware that the legal drinking age of 18 is not always rigorously enforced in Aruba, so extra parental supervision may be appropriate. Young female travelers in particular are urged to take the same precautions they would when going out in the United States, e.g. to travel in pairs or in groups if they choose frequenting Aruba’s nightclubs and bars, and if they opt to consume alcohol, to do so responsibly.
The Bahamas has a high crime rate; however, areas frequented by tourists during the day are not generally prone to violent crime. Visitors should exercise caution and good judgment at all times and avoid high-risk personal behavior, particularly after dark. Most criminal incidents tend to take place in a part of Nassau not usually frequented by tourists (the "over-the-hill" area south of downtown). Violent crime has increased in these areas and has become more common in areas frequented by tourists, including the main shopping thoroughfare in Nassau, as well as in more recently developed residential areas. Criminals also target restaurants and nightclubs frequented by tourists. One common approach for criminals is to offer victims a ride, either as a “personal favor” or by claiming to be a taxi, and then robbing and/or assaulting the passenger once they are in the car. Visitors should use only clearly marked taxis. In the last few years the U.S. Embassy has received numerous reports of sexual assaults, including assaults against teen-age girls. Most assaults have been perpetrated against intoxicated young women, some of whom had reportedly been drugged.
Crime in Barbados is characterized by petty theft and street crime. Incidents of violent crime, including rape, occur. Visitors should be especially vigilant on the beaches at night. Visitors should try to secure valuables in a hotel safe and take care to always lock and secure hotel room doors and windows.
Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands
Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French West Indies, Grenada
Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos
