"Like the wild west in negril", really. Lawlessness abound and a gun slinger on every corner. I think not. In fact I know not. If you want to walk down some dark ally to buy some crack cocaine, then you might have some trouble. Walking the beach or walking West End Road is most certainly not the wild west. When someone advocates someone else to carry a weapon is irresponsible and will do nothing more than create violence and get people hurt. If you have an encounter, and 99.99% of locals and tourists alike will not, the proper think to do is not to resist. If you have a weapon, then adrenalin will kick in and you will feel the need to use it. This will end badly and do nothing more than present another weapon for the bad guy to use the next time.

Oh, and BTW, "the police are useless". Did the police not make 2 arrests within 24 hours of the Lime Tree Lane incident??