Canada places travel advisory on Jamaica following spike in violent crime

Jan 19, 2018 | International News, News

St. James Parish, a popular tourist destination by Montego Bay, Jamaica, is in a state of emergency followed by a spike in violent crime.

By: Tyson Lautenschlager

The Canadian government has placed a travel advisory on Jamaica as the country responds to an uptick in violent crime near some of its most popular tourist regions.

The advisory posted on the Government of Canada’s website.

The violence is centered in St. James Parish, a province of Jamaica that includes the popular resort city of Montego Bay. The province recorded 335 murders in 2017.

Jamaican authorities imposed a military lockdown on Thursday, according to Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness.

“We’re all aware and agree that crime and violence, in particular murders, have been escalating in the Parish of St. James,” Holness said in a press conference. “I have been advised by the security forces that the level of criminal activity continued and threatened.

“In consideration of this, I wrote to the governor general recommending a declaration of a state of public emergency for the Parish of St. James.”

https://www.facebook.com/AndrewHolnessJM/videos/1788482601163583/

The prime minister also said that the 335 murders in St. James Parish over the last year is more than double that of any other parish in the Caribbean country.

Canadians among 38 murders so far this year

Canada’s travel advisory on Jamaica recommends people “exercise a high degree of caution.”

Despite that, the Canadian government recognizes that they can’t control whether or not people travel within the country.

“The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad. We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad,” the advisory read.

Earlier in the month, two Canadians were killed in Jamaica in what Jamaican police are calling “a botched burglary gone wrong.”

Winnipeg residents Melbourne Flake, 81, and Etta Flake, 70, who also have a home in St. Thomas, on Jamaica’s eastern tip more than 200 km away from St. James Parish, were found dead on January 9.

According to a report by the Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica saw 1,616 murders last year, one of the highest homicide records ever for the country.