ok, so here is what I'm hearing:
Beach ok during day
Don't get trashed (not planning on it)
Don't buy coke (not planning on it)
Don't exchange money on the street

Is beach ok to walk on at night? What's the deal with the taxis? Heard something mentioned about that.

I'll do the town/hills thing with my Jamaican friends....BTW, I called them after reading these threads and while they laughed a bit, they did say things have changed a lot since I used to come down. I'm starting to wonder if it's gonna feel like being in an AI if wandering around isn't safe like it used to be. But tickets booked and I am excited. Mostly looking forward to seeing old friends. And given that it's 5 degrees in Philly, I'm really looking forward to the warmth.

Thanks for the feedback. At some point I'll scan some of my old Negril pix from the 80s and post them....most are in the mountains, but I have a bunch of pix from the T Water hotel where I used to hang out on the beach.