Crime threatens Montego Bay tourism

[evanovitch]

<span style="font-weight: bold">
Monday, 20 April 2009 </span>
President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce Lloyd B. Smith says the spate of violence has left Montego Bay in a state of panic and warns that the tourism product is now under serious threat.

In an interview with RJR News, Mr. Smith argued that the Police High Command and the Government have been tardy in finding a solution to the crime and violence in the second city.

&quot;Right now the entertainment industry in Montego Bay is declining rapidly because people are afraid to go out at night. In addition to that people are so scared they are not socially interacting as they used to,&quot; said Mr. Smith.

&quot;There is less shopping, less going out and this is not good for business generally speaking, there is a pall of fear hanging over the entire parish because of these seemingly senseless killings so no one feels safe anymore,&quot;

Mr. Smith warns that tourism in Montego Bay could be badly damaged by the violence.

&quot;If this trend continues it is only a matter of time before it will affect the tourism industry as well. It is already affecting those who work in the tourism industry, it is just a matter of time before it begins to affect our visitors. We need a very serious intervention at this stage,&quot; he continued.

[evanovitch]

Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

<span style="font-weight: bold">
Monday, 20 April 2009 </span>
It is likely that the recent spate of multiple killings in the second city will take a back seat to the hostage situation at Sangster International Airport when Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin and other high ranking members of the police force travel to Montego Bay on Monday morning.

The visit was originally intended as a search for answers to the recent spike in the murder rate and was prompted by Sunday's murder of four persons at a wake in Salt Spring.

Three other persons were injured in the deadly attack.

Three of the victims have been identified as 28-year old Roy Rickets Junior, his cousins 18-year old Ricardo Rickets and 24-year-old Fabian Bailey all of Cottage Road in Salt Spring.

It is reported that the men were among relatives and friends at a wake when eight men armed with guns invaded the function.

The men opened fire on the patrons then made their escape.

Over the past two months more than a dozen persons have been shot dead by gunmen while attending parties in Montego Bay.

Head of the Major Investigation Task Force, Assistant Commissioner Les Green says the spate of killings in Montego Bay is of major concern to the police high command.

&quot;Certainly the High Command are very concerned about the garrison in St. James and they will be reviewing again the activities of the local police and the support we get from the centre,&quot; said ACP Green.

&quot;Again I urge anyone with information, anyone from the communities to contact the hotlines. They are safe and secure, we will get your information and we will act on it, 3-1-1 or 8-1-1,&quot;

&quot;We need to find out who is behind these killings so we can bring these people swiftly to justice,&quot; he said.

71 persons have been murdered in St. James since the start of the year.

[jah_yout]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

what will it take for the people to see that the j'can gov't is unable or unwilling to stop the tide of crime &amp; violence (devilment) taking over the island

[RichD]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jah_yout</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what will it take for the people to see that the j'can gov't is unable or unwilling to stop the tide of crime &amp; violence (devilment) taking over the island </div></div> why yuh think people haven't seen that already?

[Amberal37]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

Well it is about time crime in this area gets a bit of attention.
No guesses as to what's behind this, but the crux of the matter is the the high poverty levels in Saltspring and the mountains around Mo'bay, the gated communities will not be immune for much longer.
My guess is that unemployment here is well above the 14-15% that Jamaica is supposed to have. Boys in this area often leave school at 12-14 years old...

The short term solution - lock everyone up. What about the long-term....?

[Yuriatin]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

I think they <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">DO</span></span> see it!



<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jah_yout</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what will it take for the people to see that the j'can gov't is unable or unwilling to stop the tide of crime &amp; violence (devilment) taking over the island </div></div>

[jah_yout]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jah_yout</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what will it take for the people to see that the j'can gov't is unable or unwilling to stop the tide of crime &amp; violence (devilment) taking over the island </div></div> why yuh think people haven't seen that already? </div></div>

i bet they would all come out to demonstrate and rally if mr golding said he was legalizing gay marriage;

i doubt a rally against crime &amp; violence would garner the same enthusiasm;

yes they do know but i guess too afraid to challenge the gov't &amp; the thugs

[evanovitch]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

u know, i memba posting a picture of a march held in Kingston, sometime last year...the people were marching to highlight their displeasure wid di violence dat abounds

i rememba captioning it 'wat is striking about dis pickcha?&quot;

i did dat because it struck mi dat it was overwhelmingly women and even more striking, dem was all of a darker hue an by their dress, the 'average man in the street'

to me, it showed dat certain people in our society didnt tink dem need to participate

castigate mi fi mi conclusion but it has always been dat way in Ja....

right now, i can juss imagine di discussion in dem said level re the highjacking dis mawning....di fambily of di accused will be thought of wid much sympathy,an rightly so, BUT , di convo gwine to be along di line of &quot;but di bwoy no come from jingbag family etc etc etc

it is di said thinking dat mek my man more concerned wid di bottom line of tourism dan di bottom line of citizens' right to live in peace..

an of course di usual excuse will be dat tourism bring in money an jobs....well we been doing it from yaad ha beaches and somehow, the social conditions have neva seemed to benefit from the economic promises and here we still r wid di fallout

[evanovitch]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

came bak to add dat even dis mawning in di post re the plane ting, wen it was said dat Stephen wud be put in Ward 21, it mek mi chuckle...

Ward 21 was originally set up so dat uptowners etc wudden haffi go to Bellevue....

an it has had some shall we say, distinctive alumni ovah di years...one lady , a beauty to look at, is now highly regarded in political fields so to speak....

but dat is wat i heard an i is not one to gossip so u neva hear it from moi

[jah_yout]

Re: Police High Command to visit Montego Bay

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: evanovitch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">u know, i memba posting a picture of a march held in Kingston, sometime last year...the people were marching to highlight their displeasure wid di violence dat abounds

i rememba captioning it 'wat is striking about dis pickcha?&quot;

i did dat because it struck mi dat it was overwhelmingly women and even more striking, dem was all of a darker hue an by their dress, the 'average man in the street'

to me, it showed dat certain people in our society didnt tink dem need to participate

castigate mi fi mi conclusion but it has always been dat way in Ja....

right now, i can juss imagine di discussion in dem said level re the highjacking dis mawning....di fambily of di accused will be thought of wid much sympathy,an rightly so, BUT , di convo gwine to be along di line of &quot;but di bwoy no come from jingbag family etc etc etc

it is di said thinking dat mek my man more concerned wid di bottom line of tourism dan di bottom line of citizens' right to live in peace..

an of course di usual excuse will be dat tourism bring in money an jobs....well we been doing it from yaad ha beaches and somehow, the social conditions have neva seemed to benefit from the economic promises and here we still r wid di fallout



</div></div>

if that's the case then big shame on the men of jamaica;

and dem claim seh god is a man (kisteet)