OK Rob,
Let me try and say this one more time. I am very hopeful that the Jamaican elections are crime free, just as I have wished every previous one. As a traveler to JA since 75 and many times since I try and stay up on the happenings there. My point, since the 76 and 80 Elections guns and violence has increased dramatically ( I do no think comparisons to other countries in those categories have any meaning) we are talking Jamaica. During those years for political reasons which perhaps are too sensitive to discuss both the PNP and the JLP resorted to warfare in their campaigns. Do I endorse that? Of course not. But political instability is a method used, especially in the Carib and Central & South America to get certain ducks in a row. Manley is lucky he didn't end up like Maurice Bishop did a couple years later. Without using the alphabet soup initials of the agencies involved you know who was holding the puppet strings. As a member of the Negril Community you have seen the increase in gun violence for a long time. In the 70's in Negril theives stole wallets and cameras, there was ganja smuggling, a rare rape and once in a great while a murder. So in summary yes elections in the past 5 years have been crime free but since 76 and 80 the crime rate due to guns has skyrocketed. That's all I'm saying.