The Editor, Sir:

On my recent visit to the island with some of my friends and work colleagues who, might I add, have never been to the island, my friends found it to be more than what they had expected. Kudos to the Jamaican people for their warmth and often open-arms approach.

I would also like to congratulate the authorities on the building of the highways throughout the country, which really is a major stepping stone in our world development. However, there are just a few issues that just cannot go unspoken of.

For instance, I visited a community in the upper St. Andrew region just by a place called Papine and was really amazed that in such a middle-working-class society there are still no streetlights on at least 75 per cent of the roadways leading into Gordon Town.

Based on the absence of these streetlights, the locals told us of robberies that have taken place and of how they are terrified at nights to go out on the street. In a developing country which is highly recognised by the world over this shouldn't be, especially for the people living there who have tried to no avail to get some help from the powers that be. What do you have to do to fix this problem if your elected officials turn a blind eye and also a deaf ear?

We saw that the locals of the community want to do their part in the fight against crime and un-necessary violence, but could really use some help from their leaders. If ever on your travels you should visit that area (Papine/Gordon Town), you would, just as we did appreciate and marvel at a striving community wanting to do the best it can but is held back by basic needs like streetlights to deter some acts of criminality.

On behalf of those wonderful residents, I beg of the authorities who are in the position to help, please make a difference and help.

I am, etc.,

OLIVER

andrew713@hotmail.com

Via Go-Jamaica