Safety in Jamaica

Neighbourhoods: Tourist zones are patrolled, but in Kingston stay well clear of areas like Tivoli Gardens. New Kingston, the business district, is markedly safer than the old town. Do not wander into unfamiliar housing schemes out of curiosity.
At night: After dark, do not walk anywhere, even the short distance between a bar and your room. If someone does attempt a robbery, do not resist; no gadget is worth it. Call a licensed taxi for every movement after sunset.
Valuables: Leave good jewellery and serious cash in the room safe. Take to the beach only what you plan to spend on lunch and a sunbed. Do not flash expensive kit or a roll of notes in a crowded market.
Hustlers: On Negril's beaches you will be approached constantly with offers of weed and souvenirs. A polite but firm no is normally enough. Do not get drawn into a long conversation if you have no intention of buying.
Roads: Take real care crossing the street, since traffic drives on the left and that catches most visitors out. Drivers rarely yield to pedestrians even at marked crossings, so wait until vehicles have actually stopped.
The sea: Currents on the north shore can be strong, so watch the warning flags. Do not swim out past the reef without a guide or a competent partner, and mind the sea urchins and coral.
Insects: Biting midges are common in the forest, so take a repellent that works for mountain hikes. When snorkelling, do not touch marine life you cannot identify. There is nothing here that hunts you, but the small stuff can wreck a week.

Jamaica has high violent crime and a functioning resort industry at the same time. The difference between resort and city is fundamental here.

Kingston and Montego Bay. Both cities have districts with very high violence — Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town in Kingston, and certain quarters of Montego Bay. People do not go there. The resort zones of Negril, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay's Hip Strip are patrolled and relatively calm.

Persistent vendors. On beaches and streets everything is offered: excursions, braids, cannabis, "friendship". Refusals are repeated several times, and that is normal. There is usually no aggression, but persistence is high.

"Guides" at the waterfalls. Dunn's River and the Blue Lagoon: a guide is offered at the entrance. Official guides are included in the ticket.

Taxis. Only licensed ones with red plates (route taxis) or a hotel car. Unlicensed "robot taxis" should not be taken.

ATMs. Withdraw in daylight inside banks or hotels.

Cannabis. Possession of up to two ounces is decriminalised and punished by fine, and Rastafarians are permitted sacramental use. But this is not legalisation for a tourist: selling remains illegal, so does buying on the street, and taking it off the island is a criminal offence with thorough airport screening. Legal dispensaries exist and require registration.

Other drugs. The law is strict. Jamaica is a transit point and airport screening is serious. Never carry anyone else's belongings.

Weapons. Importing ammunition and firearms is a grave offence.

Same-sex relations are formally criminalised and public attitudes are conservative.

States of emergency. Declared periodically in particular parishes with expanded police powers. This means checkpoints and checks.

Driving on the left. Roads are mountainous, narrow and poorly marked. Nobody drives between towns at night.

Drones. Permission is required.

Vaccinations. None mandatory; a yellow fever certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries. Hepatitis A and typhoid are advised.

Dengue. Major outbreaks occur regularly. The mosquito bites by day.

Water. In resort areas and Kingston tap water is treated and broadly safe, but visitors are better off with bottled.

The sea. North coast currents are moderate; the south coast and Negril can be stronger. Lifeguards work on hotel beaches.

Sun. Tropical UV.

Hurricanes. The season runs June to November, peaking in September. Jamaica takes hits regularly.

Healthcare. Kingston and Montego Bay have acceptable private clinics. Anything serious means evacuation to Florida. Insurance with evacuation cover is essential.

Emergency numbers: 119 police, 110 ambulance and fire.

Jamaica sits in the lower half of the Corruption Perceptions Index, and its homicide rate is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The overwhelming majority of that violence involves local groups and does not touch tourists.

The resorts work. Negril, Ocho Rios, the Montego Bay tourist zone and Port Antonio have a police presence, and incidents involving foreigners are rare relative to the volume of visitors.

Do not resist a robbery.

Tourist police. Operating in the main resort areas in distinct uniforms.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. English is official.

At night. Do not walk beyond hotel grounds and lit tourist streets. Take taxis through your hotel.

What actually matters. Jamaica is safe where it is arranged for tourists and unsafe where it is not. The boundaries between those zones are clear and locals know them — ask hotel staff where you can and cannot go. That approach works.

Emergency number is 119.