By Claudine Housen, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
GODFREY DYER, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the specially-trained police unit which took over the security of the nation's major resort towns less than two months ago.
Speaking in the wake of the incident-free arrival of a record 300,000 tourists to Jamaica's ports in December, Mr. Dyer said he was satisfied with the high-visibility policing in areas such as the Montego Bay 'Hip Strip', which is the centre of tourism-related activities in the western city.
"We have seen significant improvement with the new cops on the street," Mr. Dyer told The Gleaner in an interview yesterday.
However, he adds that while the patrolling of the Hip Strip was adequate, there was room for improvement in the downtown Montego Bay area.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force took over security from the Resort Patrol Unit on November 14 when the new police unit, which was specially trained to handle hospitality issues and in immigration laws, was deployed on the streets of Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios.
"It has been good so far based on what I got back from persons in the tourism sector," said Supt. Karina Powell-Hood, the police tourism liaison and head of the new unit which had 40 of the specially-trained police posted in Montego Bay and 30 each in Negril and Ocho Rios. Supt. Powell-Hood agreed with Mr. Dyer about downtown Montego Bay, adding that it was part of the overall plan.
"There is always room for improvement," she said. "In the three resort areas it has been our focus to increase presence."
