State Dept issues travel advisory for Jamaica

[yardwork]

I've always heard that Jamaica is beautiful, but their abysmal LGBTQ laws always kept me from choosing to travel there. It looks like their human rights problems are even deeper than I realized.

https://jm.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-change-to-travel-advisory-level-for-health-and-crime/

Event: The State Department has recently changed the Travel Advisory for Jamaica.

Reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime and medical services. U.S. government personnel under Chief of Mission (COM) security responsibility are prohibited from traveling to many areas due to increased risk. Please read the entire Travel Advisory.

Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.

Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a conclusive sentence. Families of U.S. citizens killed in accidents or homicides frequently wait a year or more for final death certificates to be issued by Jamaican authorities. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica has for several years been among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. U.S. government personnel under COM security responsibility are prohibited from traveling to the areas listed below, from using public buses, and from driving outside of prescribed areas of Kingston at night.

[Quakerfriend]

1. It used to be so wonderful traveling to Jamaica but,

it can be dangerous now- partly due to the fact that there are a lot more guns now.

Five years ago, friends rented a car to drive from the airport to their hotel. On the way they were approached from behind by masked men who were armed and claiming to be the police. They were ordered to pull over and turn their engine off. Luckily they did not turn the engine off and were able to flee by throwing some money & candy out the window. The police were not interested in what had happened.

[yardwork]

2. Apparently that's the newly concerning issue - the police don't respond.

People used to say it was safe if travelers stayed on the all-inclusive resort compounds, but this advisory says sexual assaults happen frequently there too, and the police don't respond.