#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – July 28, 2020 —Turks and Caicos young men are killing each other and the majority of serious crime is linked to turf or gang wars according to Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor who on Monday (July 26) addressed the nation in a message capturing the highlights of his first year in the post.
Fresh recruits. Turks and Caicos candidates at Police Graduation held in June 18 in The Bahamas; photo by Derek Carroll
“Beyond the sadness when a member
of our society is a victim of crime who has no association whatsoever with the
world I’ve just described – indeed has lived their life standing against this
sort of nihilism – the horrible truth is that our young men are killing each
other; increasingly the victim knows the perpetrator and visa-versa,” explained
Governor Dakin.
Crime statistics for 2019 remain unpublished, but in the Governor’s presentation there is strong indication that upward trends in violence remain vexing. His Excellency said 70 percent of serious crime victims were under the age of 30; that 95 percent of those victims were men and 90 percent of the violent crime involved a firearm.
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Retaliatory crime is driving these disturbing trends and the Governor, who heads National Security shared, “We increasingly observe that even those seriously injured in attacks, often as collateral to a murder victim who they are associated with, choose not to provide the Police with a statement.”
Turks and Caicos Police graduates. Photo by Derek Carroll
Governor Dakin is an avid Instagram user with over 4,350 followers. During his remarks, a peppered perspective on what could alleviate the seeming surge in crime was shared.
“A regular
contributor to my Instagram account therefore quite reasonably asked yesterday
for timelines as to when she could expect changes. This was my response: Almost immediately if public outrage about crime
converted to the public providing information about crime in equal measure…”
Nearly 30 new members added to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police was touted to bring concrete changes in public trust of the Force and investigative capabilities.
“… serious financial investments made in Policing by
the Premier, at the recommendation of the Commissioner, should start to be felt
this year – that includes community policing which helps provide the confidence
the public need if they are to support the Police. In the last 12 months 27 locally recruited
officers have been trained for six months overseas and they are now back with
us and ready to serve.”
Turks and Caicos new graduates from Police Training in The Bahamas in June 2020; photo by Derek Carroll
Investigative specialists have also been identified, and with funding support from the United Kingdom, two Superintendents will embark on a two year stint in the Turks and Caicos as part of the Tactical Unit.
“Both are tough and knowledgeable in detecting homicide – they will join
the Force, mentor and support their TCI colleagues who will replace them in two
years, and report to the local Police Executive Leadership.”
Appointed to
the newly created post in January, the Permanent Secretary of National Security
is fixed on crafting a long term remedy, which is expected to do in the Turks and
Caicos, what it has done for other overseas territories including Bermuda.
Bermuda
managed, through intervention, to reduce its murder count in 2019 to zero.
“Those that have properly got to grips with crime
(Bermuda and Glasgow are great examples) have brought crime down in a sustained
way. They however have found that is a 10-year programme. The National Security
Permanent Secretary is pulling together, for the Premier, the programmatic disciplines
this approach needs,” said the Governor on Monday.
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Ninety percent of murders are recorded in Providenciales, which is the economic hub of the country; yet the Governor was resolute that for tourists, the islands are safe.
“As we unpack and understand the figures, this therefore remains an incredibly safe tourist destination; but that’s certainly not the case if you are a young man living in Providenciales who is running with the wrong people.”
According to Magnetic Media records, there were 13 homicides in 2019 and 12 people murdered so far, in 2020.
Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Turks and Caicos Islands could soon be facing a major tourism problem: thousands more stray dogs.
It’s a likely consequence of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ban on US puppy imports, says Potcake Place K9 Rescue founder and director Jane ParkerRauw in a new video produced by Visit Turks and Caicos Islands.
The collaboration between the country’s leading tourism website and the charity dog rescue—which works to reduce the local population of homeless dogs—sheds light on how the CDC ruling has disrupted the charity’s operations and is contributing to an alarming rise in the country’s homeless dogs.
“It’s going to take years of getting back from [the progress we’ve lost] over the last 14 months,” said Parker-Rauw in an interview with VisitTCI. “I can’t stress how in such a short period of time, this is going to have such an impact on tourism here.”
On Aug. 1, 2024, the CDC’s ban on importing dogs less than six months old into the US took effect. The ban aims to prevent the introduction of DMRVV (dog-maintained rabies virus variant) into the US.
Since then, Potcake Place has been unable to find homes for hundreds of puppies. For the first time in the rescue’s 25-year history, they have had to turn away dogs.
“If we allow stray dogs to overrun the islands, it will inevitably affect the experience of our visitors and the tourism industry as a whole,” says Daniel J. LeVin, executive editor of VisitTCI. “Visit Turks and Caicos Islands works hard to promote the Turks and Caicos as one of the world’s premier travel destinations, and that means supporting efforts that protect the environment, community, and visitor experience.”
Many residents of Providenciales remember a time when wild dogs were shot to keep packs in check, or more recently, the fatal attack of a North Caicos woman in 2012 by feral dogs.
Large stray populations pose health and safety risks, deter tourists, and strain public resources. Many puppies the Potcake Place has had to turn away since the ban began have likely already had puppies themselves, says Parker-Rauw.
The impact of controlling a potentially explosive population of homeless dogs could have serious negative effects on the Turks and Caicos tourism industry, as seen in countries like Turkey.
“Two dogs in six years, if none of their offspring die, will produce 62,000 dogs,” says Parker-Rauw. “This is a major problem.”
The United States accounts for over 80% of visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the vast majority of Potcake Place’s adoptions.
Since the ban came into effect, US adoptions have dropped from roughly 500 per year to just five per month, says Parker-Rauw. Getting older puppies to the US is challenging, as they’re too large for airline cabins and not permitted in the hold of planes traveling between Turks and Caicos and the US.
Potcake Place has been advocating for a revision of the ban to allow puppies from lowrisk rabies or rabies-free countries into the US. Turks and Caicos is a DMRVV-free country, and all puppies adopted through Potcake Place are fully vaccinated before travel.
This collaboration is one of several that Visit Turks and Caicos Islands has spearheaded this year to promote sustainable tourism. Both the video and an expanded article can be found at www.visittci.com/news.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – (October 6th, 2025) – The Turks and Caicos Islands has once again reaffirmed its status as the Caribbean’s premier beach and romance destination at the annual World Travel Awards.
At the ceremony held in Saint Lucia on October 4th, the destination was named the region’s Leading Beach Destination and Most Romantic Destination. Turks and Caicos has captured the Leading Beach Destination title every year since 2015 and the Most Romantic Destination award for seven consecutive years.
“It is no secret that the Turks and Caicos Islands is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and we are honoured that voters continue to recognise this. Our pristine waters and secluded settings also make the destination one of the world’s most romantic getaways, especially for couples seeking luxury and intimacy. On behalf of Experience Turks and Caicos, I extend sincere thanks to the World Travel Awards and to everyone who voted in support of our islands,” said Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos.
Experience Turks and Caicos would like to extend congratulations to our hotel partners and stakeholders who also won regional recognition at the World Travel Awards.
Beaches – Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025
The Palms – Caribbean’s Leading All-Suite Hotel 2025
Ambergris Cay Private Island Resort – Caribbean’s Leading Private Island Resort 2025
InterCaribbean – Caribbean’s Leading Cabin Crew 2025
Turks and Caicos Islands Awards
Windsong Resort – Turks and Caicos Leading Boutique Hotel 2025
The Palms – Turks and Caicos Leading Hotel 2025
Grace Bay Club – Turks and Caicos Leading Luxury Resort 2025
The Shore Club – Turks and Caicos Leading Resort 2025
Four-bedroom Oceanfront Penthouse @Windsong Resort – Turks and Caicos Leading Hotel Suite 2025
Avis – Turks and Caicos Leading Car Rental Company 2025
Caicos Dream Tours – Turks and Caicos Leading Tour Operator 2025
Olympia Destination Management Company – Turks and Caicos Leading Destination Management Company 2025
The Turks and Caicos Islands now has an opportunity to win ultimate recognition in global travel and tourism with three global nominations in the World Travel Awards for the following:
World’s Leading Beach Destination World’s Leading Island Destination World’s Most Romantic Destination
The “World’s Leading” categories are the highest in the World Travel Awards programme. Voting runs from October 6th -26th October 2025. Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers, with the nominee gaining the most votes announced as the 2025 World Travel Awards winner.
Turks and Caicos, September 21, 2025 – On Sunday, September 21st, 2025, the United States Coast Guard Southeast (USCG), working in coordination with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) Marine Branch, the TCI Regiment, and the TCI Border Force, intercepted a vessel carrying 103 migrants bound for Providenciales.
The suspicious vessel, first tracked by the USCG, was stopped at sea and later secured by the Sea Guardian vessel, which towed it safely to South Dock Marina. Upon arrival, the migrants were disembarked and handed over to the TCI Border Force for processing.
A breakdown of those on board confirmed:
75 males (including two minors)
28 females (including two minors)
This interception marks the 18th such operation in 2025, bringing the total number of migrants detained this year to 1,510. The RT&CIPF thanks the USCG and local agencies for their close cooperation, noting that this successful outcome demonstrates the effectiveness of layered security measures protecting the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Force reminds the public that illegal migration is dangerous and life-threatening, and violations of the law will not be tolerated.
Anyone with information on illegal migration is urged to contact the nearest police station, call 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 or via the P3 app.
Photos Courtesy: Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force