Emergency state for criminal violence in Jamaica

london - Canada and Great Britain have strongly urged compatriots living in the Jamaican tourist resort of Montego Bay not to leave their hotels. The government of Jamaica has declared a state of emergency in the St. James region, of which Montego Bay is the capital, because of the criminal violence that has increased considerably.

Jamaican police chief George Quallo said that 335 murders were committed in St. James in 2017. That is almost twice as much as in other regions in the Caribbean country. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that crime is increasingly spreading and that he therefore sent soldiers on the streets in St. James, according to CNN. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, about forty murders were committed in St. James in the first week of 2018.

After the capital Kingston, Montego Bay is the largest city in Jamaica. The city is popular with international tourists due to the presence of beautiful beaches. About 200,000 Britons go on holiday every year in Montego Bay.