WESTERN BUREAU:
MONTEGO BAY, the tourism capital of Jamaica, has began to take on the violent reputation once held solely by Kingston.
The changing reality hit home last week when Glaston McGowan, a local mason, was brutally murdered along the corridors of the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court as scores of bystanders looked on in shocked disbelief.
"I just cannot believe that something like this could have happened inside a courthouse building," said attorney Clive Mullings, as he surveyed the bloody murder scene outside courthouse No. 2.
"This shows the total disregard some people have for the law."
While crime statistics show that 38 murders have been committed in and around Montego Bay since the start of the year a 100 per cent increase over last year's figure the Area One Police High Command is asking the public not to panic.
According to the police, they are working relentlessly to bring the situation under control.
"As a professional, I will not add to the panic and fear of crime that is now existing in the society," said Detective Superintendent John Morris, the Area One crime chief.
"As a people, we need to take time out to examine what is happening and collectively seek a solution to the problem. As the police, we are not panicking. We are working around the clock to bring the situation under control."
However, in examining the increase in criminal activities in the city, especially the most daring daylight robbery at the ticketing office of Air Jamaica, Ed Bartlett, the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) spokesman on Tourism and the Environment, has described Montego Bay as a 'city in crisis.'
"Montego Bay is a now a major threat to the island's tourism," said Mr. Bartlett.
"Crime is at an all time high with the city averaging two murders a week over the past six months. Rape and robberies have also increased dramatically."
Don't panic
While the police is asking the public not to panic, the business community has stated strong concern that the crime situation could adversely affect the good name of the city and hence the fragile tourist trade.
"We find the crime situation here in this town very disturbing," said Mark Kerr-Jarrett, President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a recent statement.
"The crime is of a great concern to us and we all have to play our part in fighting it."
The police have managed to take 38 illegal firearms off the street, the weapon that has been used in some of the more high profile killings including the execution-style slaying of People's National Party activist Bernard 'Red Man' Chang, the shooting of Edmond Barnes, history teacher at Cornwall College, both in May; and at least three drive-by killings since July 6, one in the hub of downtown MoBay, on Howard Cooke Boulevard.
While he readily agrees that gun crimes are at an uncomfortable level, Supt. Morris thinks that just looking at the statistics without properly examining the individual cases, will paint a less than accurate picture, especially in the case of domestic disputes.
"Let us look at the recent killing at the courthouse. That, I believe, was something the police could have done nothing about," said the Supt.
"In domestic disputes, which figure high in the number of killings, the police cannot do anything because these incidents cannot be predicted."
Janice Grey, of King Street, whose community is still quite tense following sporadic shootings over the past three months, said she is quite scared and is looking to relocate.
"It has reached the stage where I am afraid to even go to my bed at nights. I am looking to go to a more peaceful area," she said.
