More on Crime in Jamaica > The Children
Crime in Jamaica continues to be on the rise daily, and the alarming murder statistics is a very sad day-to-day reality for all living on the island.
Over the last two weeks, three innocent children under 12 years old were brutally murdered.
Who would grab such innocent, laughing children, as they take off shoes when it rains to walk home in water.? Who would bring harm to these cute little faces?
I often say to my husband ” they are so little honey, look a that one with a book bag larger than half her body-size”. I never saw such young children walking the streets of Washington DC., and if I ever saw children they were always with adults.
The average tourist and Expat however, are usually exempt from these violent statistics, mainly because many of these crimes mainly occur in certain environments and are often times reprisal murders.
I generally recommend that individuals moving to Jamaica ask the companies relocating them to provide the person or family with a driver for the first month. If this is not an option, then maybe this individual should ask someone to recommend a mentor or transition specialist for as long as the family needs to feel comfortable during the initial settling in period. Picking housing that you may feel safe in is also extremely important. Expats have shared that simply having a driver to follow around and assist with simple questions those first few weeks of settling was of great benefit.
Getting a good Safety Map of the Kingston area and having a person point out the various hot spots to avoid, can also be extremely useful/helpful. It is important that a newcomer not end up on the wrong side of town in the middle of a hot dispute, without a road map or another route to get home, should there be a road block.
I have been able to run three to four times a week, power walk and cycle in my neighborhood for the last two years daily without incident. Many other people are also out walking daily, so the key is to use the same alertness that you would use while living in any major city. I have had Expat pals who move off the Island to places like Israel and Trinidad later share, that they felt safer living in Kingston Jamaica than they now do, in their new environments. Maybe it’s because the crime areas are more predictable in JA, but the continued escalation of crime and the end results affect all people living on this tropical soil.
Do have a look at the following video
« Tipping @ All Inclusive Resorts in Jamaica | Home | Pests I’ve Had To Get Used to> Since Living In Jamaica »
Leave a Comment