NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Amid the negative exposure The Bahamas has received regarding the surge in violent crime to start the year, the Bahamas Real Estate Association (BREA) has moved to assure all stakeholders and investors that The Bahamas is safe.

"Given the increased amount of negative exposure the Bahamas has received in recent weeks in the international media, we felt it was important to assure all stakeholders, including new and frequent visitors as well as existing and potential investors, that The Bahamas remains a safe destination," BREA president Nikki Beouf stated.

"We would like to remind you that we are an extensive number of islands, which remains a safe place for all to enjoy, whether it is to reside in or a space for you to come and play in, we invite you to discover the beauty of our archipelago."

Referring to a recent comment by US Embassy Chargé affairs Ushna Pitts, where she stated that she was not the least concerned about the safety of Americans in the Bahamas, Beouf said: "We too feel it is important to echo this sentiment by saying that as citizens and permanent residents in this country, we feel safe to go about our daily business and continue to live our lives to the fullest. Like many other parts of the world, we feel it is important to stay vigilant as crime exists here, just as it does in all parts of the world, but we also know that compared to other parts of the world, we really do live in Paradise. We salute the Government and the police enforcement agency as they continue to focus on the control and prevention of incidents of this nature that have arisen in isolated parts of the island of New Providence. We also acknowledge that when even a single ripple in the waters of peace is too much to bear," said Beouf.

Beouf recently told Eyewitness News that recent crime alerts and extensive international media coverage of the country's crime wave have caused some buyers to have second thoughts.

The spate of violent crimes in the country has received extensive media coverage in the country's key source market for tourists, having been featured in featured on major television networks and newspapers. The United States and Canada recently issued a travel advisory on The Bahamas, warning its citizens of the spike in murders. The country has recorded 25 murders to date.

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