I was just reading an article and it was talking about how high the crime rate is in Jamaica. I am the only one mad and upset about this. I feel like we as Jamaican have given up over freedom and our beautiful country to the crimials in Jamaica. What is going on PEOPLE, we need to take back our country and stop leaving it up to the politician, police, and the military. Jamaica, need its people to take care of it. Please citizans and those who calls JAMAICA their belove home. Rise up and lets take back our country from the criminals so that the youth of tomorrow can live and grow in a peacefull and beautiful country. Lets start some community watch, and go back to the days when the community watch over its people and the youth.

RIGHT ON brother/sister !!!!!!!!!
ONE LOVE !!
Mike

Ok, it is our job to report the crimes to the police etc, but not 'take back'. I choose not to come face to face with the barrell of a gun.

When I read the August 11th Observer article,I got very concerned about our quiet parish Saint Bess and all the very hard working citizens. Something have to be done to crime in Jamaica and more so Our beautiful parish, Saint Elizabeth. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/Migrant-criminals-drifting-to-St-Eliz abeth

POW, there are many different steps that they "the people in the community" can take other than as you say "come face to face with the barrell of a gun". The point is, the people or anyone for that matter, shouldn't have to come face to face with the barrell of a gun. Jamaica was a country of peace and beauty. I was shock to learn that a young lady I went to high school with was taken from her home and kill by gunmen. This is just one of the recent cases in St.Elizabeth in just a few weeks. So, as I was saying, why aren't people doing something about these crimes. What are the churches saying about the high level of crimes going on in their communities? If anyone is doing something please say so. I love my country! I think one thing people can start doing is working closer with the police. Also, if one see someone that is not from the area, ask some questions like: who are you? who do you know here? where are you going? Checkout situations that doesn't look right or call the police. Alert others in your community. Because that is the only way we can findout who are the people coming into our communities. Findout from the local MPs what are they doing to help reduce the crime rate in Jamaica(gust to start with)!!

Were are we talking about, is it all Jamaica or specific place. We all need to look after each other, wee see someone that does not belong there, and call police, keep bad elements out of your area....

Better link is: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/Migrant-criminals-drifting-to-St-Eliz abeth_9416488

Easy for me to say since I don't live there but why doesn't the citizenry form a Crime Watch Group?

One of the things that concerns me is the lack of street signs in our part of St Bess,with the frequency at which police officers are transfered ,I don't think most are able to find adresses fast enough ,while we lobby the parish council to rectify this ,we shoud also lobby for a fire station. Think about this community leaders over to you!

Wooo, that is BIG, I say do not let them in TB..crime will stay alive if we let them take over....keep them out of the beautiful TB...report all new commers, do not trust any new person gettig in....be alert...keep your dogs in your yard

Please allow me to share a true story.

A local thief stole some items from my family's yard. The police were called. When told of the situation, the police officer exclaimed (I am paraphrasing) 'You don't know what to do when a thief come into your yard?! Don't waste our time - we have much more serious issues to deal with.'

The imlpicit message, as I understand, was: RUN THEM !

That is way, you need all to take care of each other, and keep your DOOGS alert, maybe now we all need to install bars on our windows and keep guns at hand, star using machets. It will not get better if you donīt change our ways.....RUN THEM...put traps around your yard.

Treasure Beach, I think if that is the attitude of the police, then the citizen need to demand change. I think if we as Jamaicans does not CHANGE the way inwhich crimes is treated {for example, in your case TB} then things will not get better. I know that when I was a child and living in Jamaica, the people didn't have a very good relationship with the police but that have to change because the crime rate is going up very year and I know things are bad when my friends that growup in Kingston wont send their children back to Jamaica to visit becaues of the crime rate there. from what I have read in the newspaper and the recent killings in St.Elizabeth I know things are getting worse. I would really like to see some discussion about how and what might people do to proctect themselves and their community because when it is your child or family members that are being kill its much different from reading it in the newspapers or hearing it on the news. I also believe that if we want peace then we can not arm ourselves with guns as there have to be more peaceful methods of dealing with crimes and criminals.

Me warn unoo long time ago, if you build it they will come, not only the good but the bad too,
as they say in america, if you choose to be famous
it is a deal you make with the devil,
treasure beach, the once obscure paradise, choosed to be famous, now you will have to give the devil his due!!

There's a lot of talk about *violent* crime here. Does that really affect the TB community? I understand that island-wide crime statistics are high, but I don't get the feeling that it is a problem for south St. Elizabeth in general nor TB in particular.

Thoughts? (Note I don't mean petty theft, but murder and assault, etc)

I agree with oldtimer on this: encourage growth, development of all kinds, and crime inevitably follows. Happens the same everywhere. People bring problems.

Alas, might never return to TB because of stuff like this.

The people of TB might have by now, one would hope, have learned that the most important thing they could do is protect and keep clean their land and water, but so far, they seem not to really grasp the importance of doing so.

Violent Crime, Please consider this one. It is moving closer. I truly believe that things are going to get worse in our area http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Cashier-killed-during-St-Elizabeth-rob bery.

I know many people in St.Elizabeth doesn't really want to talk about the fact that the crime rate is going up but from what I have read in the newpaper, this is the 3rd women shot and killed in the last 2 months. It is very sad to keep reading about people being killed in Jamaica. I would like to hear people start saying its a problem. I am from TB, but it upset me even if it not as large as many other parishes. People, the crime rate should be of concern even if its not as high (in St.Elizabeth)as other part of Jamaica. People, Jamaica is our country and the high crime rate and violents should be of concern to every citizen living in and out of Jamaica.

I agree there is a sickening amount of crime in Jamaica. Whether it is rampant in Treasure Beach is irrelevant; we need to do something about it. So I'm inviting anyone with any idea to post them here. Maybe by having a public brainstrorming we may be able to come up with one or two good ideas that we can take up with the authorities in Jamaica. God bless our Land.

No one has mentioned the churches. What are they doing? Are we attending church services and better yet, how many of our children are religiously taught or living the life? Our children are the future and bear in mind, material things will not save us but the Word of God will.

I also agree with you Sword, I don't know what the churches are doing. Do they talk about all the crimes going on in Jamaica??

Dem collect offering.

The ones go to church have the opportunity to talk to the mothers, so they can then keep their children off the streets, keep bad company away, Education starts at HOME.

Anyone with rudimentary knowledge of The Church knows the crime links within the church itself, so I don't think that's where we should be looking. Parenting is where it should start.