DOWNTOWN NASSAU MURDER PRESSURES GOVERNMENT TO ACT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000071

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, DS/ITA, DS/IP/WHA, AND CA/OCS/ACS/WHA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BF CASC KCRM PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: DOWNTOWN NASSAU MURDER PRESSURES GOVERNMENT TO ACT
ON CRIME

REF: NASSAU 1458

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) Deadly violence struck the tourist and commercial
heart of downtown Nassau January 7 as a drive-by shooter
missed his intended mark, instead mortally wounding a high
school student waiting in a crowd at a bus stop. The
shooting prompted renewed concern about the impact of rising
crime on tourism, the backbone of the local and national
economy. Media speculation centered on fears of a potential
issuance of a travel advisory by the U.S. as a result of
violence moving into the tourist center of the country. Post
dispelled this national anxiety in public statements
highlighting information already available on State
Department web sites for travelers, which urges caution even
in tourist areas. The incident nevertheless represents a
potentially significant development in a general increase in
crime that has afflicted the country. It has increased
pressure on the government to take prompt, meaningful action
against crime. END SUMMARY.

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RANDOM SHOOTING TRAUMATIZES DOWNTOWN SHOPPERS, TOURISTS
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2. (U) A high school student died from multiple bullet
wounds on January 7 after falling victim to a drive-by
shooting at a bus stop in the commercial heart of downtown
Nassau. The brazen attack in broad daylight on busy Bay
Street sent cruise visitors fleeing to the safety of their
ships, locals scrambling for cover, and witnesses shocked at
the ensuing chaos. Police quickly apprehended three other
men waiting at the same bus stop, believed to be the intended
targets of the shooting. Police also identified a suspect
and launched a public manhunt. The media reported his
capture on January 20. The motive for the shooting remains
unclear.

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FEAR OF U.S. TRAVEL WARNING
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3. (U) The downtown killing at the peak of the afternoon
rush hour prompted renewed concern in the public and press
about the potential issuance of a travel advisory or warning
by the U.S. Embassy -- an almost compulsive anxiety within
the tourist dependent island. In fact, the media have
speculated for months, as the murder tally rose, over such an
announcement and its potential negative effects on the
all-important tourism sector, which forms the backbone of the
economy in Nassau and The Bahamas. Post sought to dispel the
renewed speculation and anxiety with comments to a leading
newspaper making clear that there were no plans to issue an
advisory, as publicly available consular information already
noted the high crime rate and the potential for violent crime
in tourist areas. The Ambassador repeated these sentiments
in an impromptu radio appearance the same day.

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RIPPLE EFFECTS OF CRIME
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4. (U) The tragic death of a high school student on the
first day of classes in the New Year spurred another bout of
national soul-searching about crime -- already perceived to
be spinning out of control at the end of 2007 with a record
number of murders -- and its causes and effects. Many
observers and witnesses expressed disbelief that anyone could
be so foolish and callous as to discharge firearms in the
middle of downtown Nassau in a high-traffic area in front of
numerous passersby, and only hundreds of yards from the
cruise ships which bring the tourists and cash upon which
small businessmen, and the broader economy, almost completely
depend. Many observers commented on the breach of an
informal 'understanding' that such incidents not occur on Bay
Street, given its importance to the country's economy.


5. (U) The victim's death prompted the Ministry of Tourism
to issue an immediate statement of condolence, in a clear
sign of official concern about how the incident might be
perceived outside the country. The incident, albeit rare and
isolated, represents a watershed in the ongoing "crime wave"
in the country. While high crime is an unfortunate fact of
life in Nassau, most of the worst violence has been limited
to certain neighborhoods and areas of the capital not
normally frequented by tourists, and generally avoided by
other island residents. This brazen attack suggests that
inhibitions about violent criminal activity in tourist areas
have eroded, if not entirely disappeared. The incident has
also renewed demands for immediate, muscular government
action on crime. The last murder of the year occurred on
December 29, when a policeman was killed in the line of duty
in Nassau, capping a record-breaking year of 79 murders and
across-the-board increases in violent crime in The Bahamas
(see reftel).

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COMMENT
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6. (SBU) The fatal shooting, coupled with continuing criminal
violence in the capital -- including a stabbing in scuffle
again on Bay Street January 16 -- has generated increased
political pressure on the Ingraham administration to address
high crime rates and intractable problems in the criminal
justice system. The opposition has strongly criticized the
FNM government's policy shifts in the law enforcement area,
including high-level personnel changes in the police force,
and is likely to try to capitalize on the recent events to
make their case that the government erred in ending PLP
neighborhood policing efforts. How the government meets the
crime challenge will play an increasingly decisive role in
how the public perceives its overall effectiveness. This
event has brought home to the cabinet that it has no higher
priority than beating back the surge in crime before the
violence begins to impact The Bahamas' tourism-dependent
economy.
SIEGEL