Miami vice

Crimes against visiting shoppers in South Florida have prompted Barbados’ Consul General to advise travelling citizens to secure their travel documents.

In recent weeks there has been an unusually high number of passport thefts, particularly from cars of shoppers in the northwest Miami suburb of Hialeah, said Consul General Neval Greenidge.

In several instances, the culprits appeared to have targeted rented cars, which are easily identifiable, after the occupants parked them to go shopping or conduct other business, he
said.

The former veteran police detective warned that leaving passports under the seat in locked cars was not enough to safeguard them.

Greenidge said: “Please take the necessary precaution upfront to safeguard your travel documents to avoid all the problems that will result is they are stolen.

“And remember the same should also apply to items you have bought.

“Don’t expose the items you have bought, especially if they are known to be expensive, in plain view in unattended vehicles.”

The process of replacing passports after theft can be costly, the Consul General said, adding to the inconvenience that very often spoils a holiday or business trip.