POLICE AND TOURISM officials will be exploring the possibility of setting up a special arm of the Force to patrol areas frequented by visitors, as part of what Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin says will be a wide-ranging plan to arrest harassment and other crimes against tourists.
Although offences against visitors have fallen by 27 per cent so far this year – 130 up to July 28 compared to 179 for the same period last year – Dottin said the effort to reduce it even further would be “urgent”.
Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) president Patricia Affonso-Dass said last month that harassment of visitors from drug pushers, prostitutes and vendors was a major concern and was threatening Barbados’ tourism product.
Dottin told the DAILY NATION that following a meeting he and other senior officers held with the new executive of the BHTA last week Monday, a decision was taken to establish a committee comprising officials from both sides
”to work on a comprehensive plan for some of these issues and work them through.
