A cautionary tale, especially for returners

[fargoman]

If you are going to dress up in drag Fred..better shave those legs..

[juls]

Personally, I would stay at 'said' hotel now...With all of the publicity..they will be the one with the best security! They have something to prove now..That's why I say it would be beneficial for them to say..Look, we screwed up, and it won't be happening again..This will be the safest place in Negril!

[jimbo]

Always think.
http://zortzort.com/viewcaption.php?...3127&type=full

[Bluez]

Always think.
http://zortzort.com/viewcaption.php?...3127&type=full

Brilliant!!!

[KidRick]

"Anything worth doing is worth doing with fresh breath" -Mom

[booger]

BNewb I wanted to address your comments, the last three towns/cities I have lived in publish a police blotter once a week with all the crimes committed along with the names of the accused. This is a routine in many parts of the US that I have seen over the last 25 years. High profile cases do make the front page but it's my experience if you look you will see all the crimes someplace in the newspaper.

As far as the fact that by law they are required to hired a licensed and bonded security company shouldn't matter, we have heard of a number of instances of guards sleeping or "lost" during these crimes. I'm not a routine visitor to Jamaica like many but the times I have been there the guards at the places I have stayed are armed with nothing but a 2-way radio and tend to be quite old. Not much help if the criminal has a weapon. To get licensed and bonded means nothing more than having a clean record and paying a fee.

Obviously these crimes are newsworthy, we have had almost 100 posts to this thread in a little over 24 hours, some heated and others providing empathy. You and Rob being on the island with the power of this forum can make a difference. Maybe it's time to get the hotel sponsors from the Forum together to discuss a solution to this rising crime problem. There are many smart people in this world, in my experience many want to hide, many want to offer an idea while others "know all the answers" and shut down those that want to get involved. It's my opinion that if we want to keep Negril as a favorite vacation spot we better figure this out quick otherwise we will spend our hard earned $ elsewhere.

Well said! And here is an interesting read about the Jamaican economy and how corruption and crime are hindering it's ability to grow.

http://www.indexmundi.com/jamaica/economy_profile.html

OK - so Rondell doubles or triples their security. Good for them, bad for all the other hotels that can't really afford it because the thieves will avoid Rondell and move down the beach a little. Not every hotel can afford to install state of the art security and employ Homeland Security.

Yes, security is really important, but the real problem here is the thieves. Right?

What about robberies on the street, on the beach?

So how about focusing on going after the thieves? Am I missing something here?

Maybe we should build a Green Zone around the beach area of Negril and have everybody enter and leave thru two armed security portals. That would probably be secure enough to keep the thieves out. That seems to be the ultimate result of the 'improve security' mindset.

Or, alternatively, maybe the focus should be on the thieves? There are a LOT of thieves in Negril during the high season.

Catch them and punish them. I know, easier said than done. But worth a concerted effort. Otherwise, we lose the place.

Yes sir, beyond my next trip I'm looking elsewhere.

I have been coming to Negril since 82. In 89 a newbie friend was out alone at night on his scooter on the west end road looking for a hotel some girls were staying at. He ended up going down one of the lane roads and turned around to come back. A guy was standing on the road with a stick and said 20J to go on your way. It wasn't much money so he took out his wallet to give it to the guy and he grabbed his wallet and ran. He had around $1000 and credit cards. He reported this to the police and an officer drove him up to the area to find out where it happened and told him to come down to the station the next morning. I said good luck on seeing your wallet again. The officer returned to the station and went plain clothed into the area. He found the thief at a small bar with the wallet tucked into the waste of his jeans in full view. He arrested him. My friend went to the station the next day and all that was missing was less then $50. This went to court in a few days in Sav and the thief got around 3 years. I was impressed on how this officer dealt with the situation.

A little police work goes a long way. Lock them up and throw away the key.

Personally, I would stay at 'said' hotel now...With all of the publicity..they will be the one with the best security! They have something to prove now..That's why I say it would be beneficial for them to say..Look, we screwed up, and it won't be happening again..This will be the safest place in Negril!

Wishful thinking......

[onthecorner]

lola.......im not looking for an illusion of security....im looking for real security......gaurds that dont sleep at night.....gaurds that actually patrol the property.....cameras that really gets watched.....im not a naive traveler but i do expect that the resort or property i choose to stay on to at least have the basics down......imop rondels dropped the ball on this.....with crime on the rise i would expect security to also be on the rise so to speak....in order for the tourist trade to continue to grow in negril this type of negative feedback needs to addressed.......i hold the hotel responsible and would like to hear a response from them and what they have done or are going to do to make the resort safe for its visitors

[captaind]

I am so tempted to comment on this thread...

Best I keep my mouth shut....

?

[gerryg123]

Lola, you're the one who recommended the place thay Guirigay and Sweetie Pie went to, right?

[rompcherry]

Did not read everything but I will. I wonder how long these smaller resorts will be in existence .. that's what makes it Negril, the place we love. 12 Foot walls along NMB and no local ambiance on the beach at all .. now how would that fare? In all fairness to security personnel, they have a lot on their plate for a small wage and have no authority or way to defend themselves. Leave the Ipads, fancy gadgets and jewellery at home or stay in a fancy resort and lock it all up in the fortress. Walk around with these things or having them in your room in any poor country where people have little work, you are a target. Yes, invasion of privacy and potential for getting hurt are not acceptable, but this is a new world order unfortunately. There are few places to stay anywhere now that are not expensive up front, during or after your holiday (if you have to replace stolen goods.) Happy weekend everyone.