At the risk of fueling the fire, I would like to add my observation as a person living in Jamaica and seeing things firsthand for over 3 decades.
First of all, I have lived in several places around Jamaica; Seaview Gardens Phase II (Kingston), Billy's Bay (Treasure Beach), Port Maria, Sheffield and Accompong Town to name a few so my observations come from many different vantage points.
I love Jamaica but, in my opinion, Jamaicans can be extremely good, extremely bad and (of course) every degree in between. We like to think "our friends" are extremely good and to you they probably are but it is the extremely bad Jamaicans that make it dangerous in some areas.
When living in Kingston I saw violence on a regular basis but I had no problems while living there. There is nothing more dangerous than a youth with a gun. They have no problems using it and for no reason. It is part of the "creds" (gaining credit within a gang) and they thrive off the fear they instill on everyday people. The violence started to be exported on a wide scale some years ago when the "deportee" cars came from mainly Japan. These cars made criminals more mobile and they found that robbing a store owner in a rural area was easier and more lucrative than robbing a Jamaican in Kingston. The chance of getting caught was almost non-existent. You will notice that police stations are few and far between in rural areas and the police are not able to or willing to patrol these areas. They prefer instead sitting at the station and waiting for someone to report a crime. When they do respond to a killing or robbery, no one wants to tell them anything that will help solve the case.
Sav has two very powerful gangs who live on either side of Great George's Street with Alma being the most powerful and violent. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/news992.html . The police in Sav have a "shoot first" standing mentality and that helps scatter the problem to nearby communities, which Negril is one.
In Negril, you have concentrated money and a woefully understaffed police department which will be getting some help to fight this upsurge in crime. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/weste...egril_13682653 Crime always follows the money.
Most of all this is transparent to the average visitor and I believe the streets are safe enough for me to traverse all over Negril. When in So. Florida, I live in an area where multiple people are getting shot every day and every night and I still walk the streets. I just don't walk them late at night or impaired enough not to know what is going on all the time. I actually feel safer in Jamaica than here.
When I am home in Accompong Town (a town of about 700 residents), I see and experience almost no crime at all at least not anything more major than a petty theft or two. I feel so secure that I do not lock my door and sleep with only a screen door protecting me from the outside world. That is what Negril used to be like and, to some visitors, it still appears and feels that way. When your money is $112J to $1US and the educational level is low while the unemployment is high, you have a recipe for criminal activity.
I can only add that I don't want to live anywhere else than Jamaica. If I don't like where I am at anytime, I move around to someplace I do like. That is why after living all over Jamaica, I have finally settled on Accompong Town.
Just my opinion.
Peace and Guidance
