As another U.S. embassy report references crimes that have not been reported by the police to the Bahamian public, Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said yesterday police have nothing to hide, and it is all a matter of "credibility".
Dean insisted the police report all crimes that warrant public attention to the Bahamian people.
In its latest crime advisory, the United States Embassy in Nassau said at least three Americans, including a minor, were allegedly sexually assaulted by jet ski operators on Paradise Island.
The embassy said police have warned women to be extra vigilant after a recent spike in reported sexual assaults.
"In October, a U.S. citizen who resides in The Bahamas was kidnapped and violently raped while walking home," the statement said.
"The watersports rental industry is only loosely regulated; since July, there have been three reported sexual assaults on U.S. citizens, including minors, by jet ski operators on Paradise Island."
There were no reports to the media that Americans were reportedly sexually assaulted by jet ski operators, nor was there any report that an American was "violently raped" while walking home.
When asked whether police received a report of the alleged rape and kidnapping, Dean did not respond directly.
He said police release all serious criminal matters.
"It will come in the crime report," Dean said.
"What you see us report, we report incidents where people are molested."
Pressed on the incident, Dean said, "What I will say to you is that you get the press release in the morning.
"You can scan them and make an assessment based on that. I am responsible for the press release.
"It depends on whether you determine my credibility is on the line or not. I can tell you I release what we have."
According to police, four women were allegedly sexually assaulted in October; two of those incidents happened during home invasions.
Dean declined to comment further on the alleged incidents involving jet ski operators.
He said, "because of the nature of where the information is coming from, we will want government to speak to that.
"And so you will find that they speak from government to government. The police will not be the spokesperson for that type of international matter."
In an interview with Guardian Business, Atlantis President and Managing Director George Markantonis said the resort recently purchased three security jet skis, which patrol its shoreline.
He said the initiative started three weeks ago in response to the increased risk presented by unregulated jet ski operators.

Renewed scrutiny
This is not the first time the embassy has issued a warning referencing crimes that have not been reported by the police to the Bahamian public in their full context.
However, police and government officials have said the police do not attempt to cover up or downplay any crime in the country that warrants the attention of the public.
A U.S. embassy warning earlier this year referenced an attempted armed robbery of an armored truck at Wendy's restaurant in Cable Beach on March 14. The incident occurred at 5:30 p.m.
But in the crime report, police reported that officers went to a shopping complex in western New Providence, where they uncovered a handgun and quantity of ammunition.
There was no mention of the suspect who attempted to rob the armored truck.
A debate about whether the police are accurately reporting crimes and in their full context erupted earlier this year when Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) surgeon Dr. Duane Sands highlighted that police statistics on shootings and rapes are notably lower than the records kept by the hospital.
In response, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said PMH and police statistics will never be the same.
Greenslade said recently that cases of rape are down over last year.

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