Shootings, murders causing jitters among tourism stakeholders out west
Published:Friday | May 31, 2024 | 12:06 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Sporadic shootings in the resort town of Negril, including Tuesday night’s shooting along the popular Norman Manley Boulevard, and the constant blood-letting in nearby St James is creating jitters among tourism stakeholders in western Jamaica, the epicentre of the nation’s much-vaunted tourism product.
Responding to Tuesday night’s shooting in Negril, which occurred in an area heavily trafficked by visitors to the island, tourism professional Sophie Grizzle-Roumel, the owner of Charela Inn and the French government’s representative in Negril, told The Gleaner yesterday that the current situation is quite worrying.
“I am extremely worried, and I am not saying the minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, has not been doing tremendous work … and I understand the problems the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) is facing, but I am concerned about the effectiveness of the Negril Police Station, which is operating below 50 per cent of its capacity in terms of manpower,” said Grizzle-Roumel, who is also a member of the Negril Chamber of Commerce.
With the crime situation casting an unwelcome shadow over the town and its globally respected tourism offerings, Grizzle-Roumel says she would welcome a greater military presence on the ground in Negril, saying that on the occasions that soldiers were brought in, the crime figures dropped, and there was a greater sense of security among residents.
“When you travel to other places around the world, you do see the army, not necessarily on the beach, but you see them,” said Grizzle-Roumel. “Here in Negril, when we have the army here, you do see a reduction in the crime rate … if we could have the soldiers showing up for routine patrols two or three times a week and bring the Negril Police Station up to its full complement, that could make a big difference.”
ONE SHOT AND SERIOUSLY INJURED
In Tuesday’s shooting, which occurred at about 1:28 a.m., 25-year-old Deano Martin, a mechanic of Nompriel Road, also in Negril, was shot and seriously injured by unknown assailants as he rode his motorcycle along the usually busy Norman Manley Boulevard.
Based on the latest JCF’s major crimes overview, spanning January 1 to May 26, Westmoreland, which has Negril as one of its primary townships, has recorded 43 murders, two more than the 41 recorded in the comparative period last year.
In St James, based on the same JCF major crimes overview, despite seeing murders dropping from last year’s 75 to 58 between January and May, shootings have jumped from last year’s 36 to a worrisome 54.
Despite noting that the decline in murders has not fallen as low as she would have liked, businesswoman Janet Silvera, one of the western region’s foremost tourism experts, said she is encouraged by the decline and is hopeful that it is a sign of better things to come.
“While I am concerned about the high frequency of shootings and murders, there is also a marked reduction over recent years,” said Silvera, in praising the efforts of the police, who are now operating without the support of a state of emergency (SOE). “I won’t beat a team that is trying or has the safety of the citizens as a priority.”
However, based on an uptick in murders and shootings over the past two weeks, including two murders on Tuesday night – the shooting deaths of 22-year-old Collin Brown, of Claude Clarke Avenue, in Montego Bay; and 32-year-old Chennesy Clarke, of Huggins Lane in Green Pond, who were killed in separate incidents –murders remain a major challenge to the parish’s police.
“With downtown Montego Bay soaking up a lot of attention with the rollout of the Beat Officer Patrol Division, I am worried that some of the traditional hotspots are not getting the kind of attention that they need,” a former top-flight police officer told The Gleaner. “I believe a comprehensive plan to cover the entire parish is needed.”