Hotel, villa and apartment owners on the south coast still have the same cry – harassment, robberies, break-ins and drug trafficking in and around St Lawrence Gap in Christ Church.
Earlier today at the Divi Southwinds Hotel, several of them vented their anger and displeasure at the rise of crime in the area at a meeting hosted by the Southern Division of the police force.
Both Commander of the Southern Division, Senior Superintendent Eucklyn Thompson and the force’s crime prevention officer, station sergeant Stephen Griffith, have called for greater collaboration between the hoteliers and the police force to nip the problem.
Griffith reminded hoteliers they can play their part by removing over grown vegetation and improving on lighting.
“In some cases, the vegetation on many of the properties is too much or not properly kept. Being clean does not mean, it is safe. There are many places where people can hide. There are nice lights on the outside which are good for other things but not good for identifying people. Criminals don’t like to be seen and visibility is one of the things that help reduce crime,” he said.
Thompson said the force will leave no stone unturned in a bid to crack down on crime in the south, and pledged to meet with south coast hotel managers at least twice a year.
Full report in tomorrow’s WEEKEND NATION
