Tourist assault renews calls to urgently tackle crime situation

Another violent attack, this time involving a tourist near Carlisle Bay, St Michael, has renewed calls for urgent action to address crime and public safety concerns in Barbados.

Sarah Taylor, owner of Beautiful Barbados Tours & Excursions Ltd and Tranquility Cruises – one of the partner businesses of Savvy on the Bay, is among those urging Barbadians to come together to help make the island a safer place to live and visit.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY following the robbery and assault of a male visitor near the entrance to Savvy On The Bay on Sunday night that left him hospitalised, Taylor said dealing with the crime situation required an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Public passage way between Eden on the Sea and Savvy on the Bay

“We are willing to talk, we are willing to listen. [It’s] always best to listen first because yes, we want to make things better…We listened to the police; we put up more lighting, we’ve put up the security – we have much more security than we used to have,” she explained of the measures businesses in the area had taken to ensure the safety of businesses and visitors.

The business owner stressed on the importance of unity, accountability and collective responsibility in dealing with the issues affecting businesses and communities.

She disclosed that additional security measures are now being planned for Sundays to help address problems spilling over from activities on the beach.

“There’s a huge lack of accountability in this country. We need to have a day of prayer, accountability, and taking responsibility. Stop running from any problems. Stop throwing chicken feed at them. The fetes and the party can’t fix everything,” Taylor said.

She contended that the attack reflected a wider societal problem in Barbados.

“I think the status quo has become to sweep your dirty laundry under the rug and forget about it. The problem is it doesn’t go away. We are clearly having a societal problem in Barbados and we are not correctly addressing it, and it is spreading,” Taylor maintained.

“Ubuntu – I am because we are – We need to stand up and fix this infection together.”

Taylor revealed that based on surveillance footage, the visitor’s chain was snatched by an assailant at the entrance to the public right of way. In an attempt to retrieve his chain, an altercation ensued and the man was attacked by several other men nearby.

Taylor said the incident unfolded rapidly despite the presence of several security personnel at the location.

Other workers and business operators in the area also expressed concern about the violent attack and its impact on safety and tourism.

“I wasn’t there that night, but you have to be careful cause nowadays anything can happen,” said one restaurateur. 

A worker, who gave his name as Kevin said: “I ain’t feel too good. I don’t feel safe at all. They really need to do something about this here. That man came here to enjoy himself and ended up getting robbed. I don’t like it. It isn’t good for business, nothing so.”

He said that even with increased security and police presence, perpetrators often wait until officers have left the area before carrying out criminal acts.

Meanwhile, a female restaurateur who said she did not feel good about the attack, said she believes incidents like these could deter customers from coming to the area. 

(LG)