During the 1980s and early 1990s Nassau suffered a small wave of gun violence, mostly as a result of the drug trade. These days things have calmed down and the tourist-friendly zones around Nassau, Cable Beach, Paradise Island and Freeport-Lucaya are fairly safe . Nevertheless, petty crimes like hotel-room theft and pickpocketing do occur. Visitors should exercise caution in Nassau after dark and avoid suburbs like Over-the-Hill and Fox, which still have problems. Drug dealers may also frequent touristed areas, and visitors should be aware that Bahamian drug laws are harsher than those in North America or Europe, with long prison sentences always a possibility.

The streets of Nassau and Freeport tend to empty out rather early in the evening, and visitors, especially women, should avoid venturing out alone there after dark. Places like the neighbourhood Over-the-Hill in Nassau have experienced a recent spurt of gun violence , and tourists should exercise reasonable precautions before heading out alone.

The emergency number for police and ambulance is 911.