Safety and Crime

Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only.  Attempts have been made to ensure it's accuracy (as of 2011), but VisitProvidenciales and it's editors accept no liability for the use or application of this information.

This article will attempt to provide you with unbiased facts regarding regional and local crime information to help you better plan your vacation.

There is no denying the fact that the Caribbean has a high, and in some cases, extremely high crime rate. Western European visitors should especially be aware of the difference in crime rates vs. their home country.

Nonetheless, the Turks and Caicos is one of the safest countries in the Caribbean and overall crime is equitable with safer North American cities.

How to have a safe and enjoyable stay

Most of the tourists visiting Providenciales come for the beach and stay in a hotel in the Grace Bay area. This area is the safest on the island and presents little risk.

Activities such as island exploring down unpaved roads will increase your chance of being a victim of crime.  Those visiting secluded beaches should be aware of a high risk of having your car broken into, and also chances of having your possessions stolen at the beach while unattended.  Indeed, one local publication simply recommends that you leave your doors unlocked to prevent your car windows be broken (which isn't covered by insurance).

Also, your chances of being involved in a crime incident increase if you stay in a villa.  Whereas villas can be a very enjoyable experience (especially for larger groups), many of these villas are located further away and often down unpaved roads. Response times for emergency services is very poor, and unfortunately criminals are aware of this and take advantage of this. Whilst there are no reliable statistics, both for number of tourists staying in villas and also home invasions involving villas, you will significantly increase your chance of being a crime victim by staying in a villa (vs. a larger hotel in the Grace Bay area).

Regional crime ranking of the Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos has one of the lowest rates of crime in the Caribbean (using murders per capita as an index), ranking 3 of the 13 countries with crime statistics. This index may not be the most relevant but is the only one available across the countries.

As seen in the table below crime gets exponentially worse as you progress down the list. For example, Jamaica has a murder rate that is 6.6 times higher than the Turks and Caicos, with the Bahamas being 3.6 times higher.  The Turks and Caicos has a population of approximately 36,000 people (2009 data), and experienced 3 murders (no tourists) in 2009. 2009 was the overall worst year for crime (as of 2011).

Murders per 100,000 (adjusted for populations less than 100,000)
UK (national average)	1.4
London	2.4
US (national average)	4.3
New York	7
Antigua and Barbuda	7
British Virgin Islands	7
Turks and Caicos Islands	8.3
San Francisco	9
Grenada	9
Barbados	11
Cayman Islands	14
Guyana	18
Miami	19.4
Dominica	21
St Vincent	23
St Lucia	26
Bahamas	29
St Kitts and Nevis	40
Jamaica	53

Statistics from NationMaster, SunTCI, CityRating, and Nassau Guardian (2011).

Crimes against Tourists

We had 351,498 non-cruise ship visitors (plus an additional 513,928 cruise visitors) and there was a total of 34 reported crimes against tourists in 2009. 15 of the 34 crimes were theft only (data not available for other 19 crimes, although none were murders).

Police Information

Being a British Overseas Territory, the management of the police is the responsibility of the United Kingdom government. The Commissioner of Police and senior officials are appointed by the Governor, who is the representative of HM Queen Elizabeth. 

The main Providenciales police headquarters are located near the Providenciales International Airport, but there are sub stations in Grace Bay, the Bight, and Five Cays (see the Maps and Districts, Areas and Layout page for more information).

Dial 999 or 911 in an emergency.  Local police headquarters for non-emergencies can be reached at 946-2499.  Response times vary by area, but experience points to around 10-25 minutes.

General Safety Tips

Where Not to Go

See the Layout, Districts and Areas section for more information on where these places mentioned are.

This information primarily concerns Providenciales, the main tourist island and where over 70% of the population reside. 

The tourist areas (such as Grace Bay and the Turtle Cove area) generally experience the lowest crime rate on Providenciales.  Local crime hotspots are the areas of Kew Town and Five Cays. There isn't anything of tourist, historic or other interest in these areas so it's recommended to simply avoid them.

Secluded areas present a risk to visitors. Crimes against tourists have happened in the Northwest Point and West Harbour (southwest point) areas in Providenciales, due to their secluded locations. Although these are both scenic areas and definitely of natural interest, their location is a risk, due to both crime and very poor roads (auto breakdown/getting stuck being problems) and should be avoided, especially if your party is small.

• Avoid Five Cays and the Kew Town area. Although the risk is small, there simply isn't anything worth seeing here and it is basically the two shantytown slums of Providenciales.
• Secluded beaches should be avoided, especially if you're only one or two people. Many of the tourist related thefts occur in these situations.
• Secluded villas may not be the best choice for couples or the elderly. Many of the more violent crimes against tourists occur in distant villas.

Transportation Safety

See the Providenciales Transportation section for more information.

There is no public transport of any kind in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Small 'jitney' mini-buses operate to cater to the low-wage migrant worker market, but these should NEVER be used by tourists, one reason being they consistently overcharge tourists. Taxis are the common mode of transportation along with rental cars.

Renting a car can be a good idea, but be alert for poor driving and sudden stops in the road. This is especially common with the usually illegal 'jitney' bus services, as they will stop directly in the traffic lane to pick up additional passengers. When driving, generally try to stay on paved roads, as most tourist attractions and sightseeing is accessible via paved roads or a short unpaved sides road. Dirt roads that run several miles into the undeveloped wilderness areas may increase your risk of being involved in a crime incident due to response times for police and auto breakdowns in these poor conditions.

• Never use local 'bus' services or unmarked cars who claim to be taxis. These are generally unlicensed, uninsured, and driven by illegal Haitian migrants. It is common for them to double or triple charge anyone who appears to be a tourist.
• Never give rides to hitch-hikers, even if a lone women.
• Never stop to give assistance to a broken-down car, even if it appears to be a lone female motorist. There have been incidents of this type of ambush crime.

In Conclusion

This article has attempted to provide you with a list of facts regarding regional and local crime. Both the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the US State Department rank crime as low in the Turks and Caicos (as of 2011). The Turks and Caicos Islands is one of the safest Caribbean destinations, but Caribbean crime levels are much higher than North America and Western Europe.  Common sense and caution should be followed to avoid being a victim of crime.