Just say it ain't so ????

[Bnewb]

Very sad to hear the violence continues...Here is a link to the United States Department of State 2016 Jamaica Crime and Safety report...

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentRe...aspx?cid=19562

Lottery Scam is mentioned as a big issue but I think this is the root of most of the problems...

Police corruption and police involvement in criminal activity is not uncommon. Citizens are often indifferent to police authority, adding to a perceived sense of lawlessness. The general perception is that the majority of crime victims do not report crimes against them due to fear of reprisals by the police, the belief that police are corrupt, or the feeling that nothing would come from such reports. Reporting crime can seem archaic, and the confusing, lengthy process is widely believed to be a waste of time except for the most serious of crimes where a police report is required for insurance purposes.

I experienced a hit and run with my rental car in Negril a couple of years ago (no injuries). I went through the process of reporting the crime (I had the licence plate number) and in hindsight I should have just continued on with my vacation because nothing came out of the report other than lost time. I guess my wife, children and I now know what Negril Police station looks (dump) and smells like (ganja) but I think we would be just fine without that memory.

I was told to stop by the police station right before I left the island to pick up the police report for the rental car company but it wasn't even started. I stopped in to the station right before driving back to Mo Bay for our flight which was three business day after the hit and run...Soon Com Mon...

I paid the $500 deductible to the rental company and never heard from Negril Police (they told me they would mail a copy)...Oh well, I learned from the experience and no longer do my own driving in Jamaica...Sit back and enjoy the ride.

It's a good article written for US Embassy employees that are relocating here. I think if one is truly interested, they should read the whole article themselves. It's quite an extensive article covering everything from where to live in Kingston, how to get around and dealing with crime.
Negrilmon, while I appreciate your research and comments...as someone living in Jamaica I find your highlighted section a bit out of context.

As for getting "things" done down here...yes, it can be difficult as everything isn't computerised (though they are working on it) and unfortunately many of the systems are still backed up in all forms of government agencies. You should definitely have received that paperwork.

And, on a slightly lighter note...the police station is currently being renovated.