If your spring break plans include traveling overseas, you may want to do so with more caution than usual. The U.S. Department of State says those traveling to the Caribbean, specifically The Bahamas, should be extra cautious.
They have issued a travel advisory for The Bahamas after an uptick in violent crime including burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults. The advisory specifically references Nassau and Freeport, saying they are where most of crimes are occurring, and emphasizes the dangers of recreational watercraft because they are not consistently regulated. These have been occurring during the day, and even in tourist areas.
The State Department released tips for those still traveling to The Bahamas:
- Exercise caution in the area known as “Over the Hill” (south of Shirley Street) and the Fish Fry at Arawak Cay in Nassau, especially at night.
- Do not answer your door at your hotel/residence unless you know who it is.
- Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Keep tabs on the Department of State’s Facebook and Twitter for travel updates
- Review the Crime and Safety Report for The Bahamas.
- U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency and medical situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
For those exploring Europe, there were three improvised explosive devices found at London transport hubs, with possible terrorist links. Nobody was hurt, but one of the packages did burst into flames upon opening. An investigation into the devices has been launched by The Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command unit. They were each found at or near Heathrow Airport, London City Airport and Waterloo train station.
But some IU students aren’t letting these concerns rain on their parade.
India Sloan, a sophomore at IU will be traveling to London, amidst the safety concerns. She even encourages others to do the same. She says, “Everything was diffused anyway and nothing really happened, nobody was injured. So I would still encourage them to go, especially if they’ve never been before, just because London is a great place, it’s really fun and I love it there. So I think it’s worth the risk.”
Worth the risk? The transport hubs are back to running normally, but investigation of the explosive devices in London is ongoing, and workers have been told to remain vigilant for further suspicious packages.
You can view travel advisories at the U.S. Department of State’s website.