Risky rendezvous

IT WAS easily understood by the couples who visited the ruins off Port Henderson Road in Portmore, St Catherine, especially at nights last week, that they were doing so at their own risk.

The crisp asphalt that serves the adjacent Bay Front Villas community crumble into bumperdeep potholes as the hill nears, and are almost impassable during heavy rains.

In contrast to the freshly painted structures to the east, the white stone ruins, veritable treasures of Jamaica’s rich past, eerily peeped through the darkness. Still, the operators of at least five motor vehicles on a wet Wednesday night were not daunted from taking up their favoured spots in the darkness.

SECURITY ISSUE

For more than 45 minutes there were no patrol cars. “You have man that will drive up the hill and try to rob people, still. So that’s why you have to look out. Sometimes police pass through, but not all the while,” said Shortman, an ancillary worker at Rodney’s Arms Restaurant and Bar.

Last week, Senior Superintendent of Police Clive Blair, recently installed head of the St Catherine South Police Division, said his officers patrol the area regularly and there have been no reported incidents of criminality in recent months.

“Nothing there for the past two months. I can’t tell you about what happened before, but I can say we have no reports in that time,” said Blair, his response no surprise to Shortman, who claims that couples usually use the area as a sexual hideaway and thus are ashamed to report matters to the police because of the location.

Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas said it was common knowledge that persons visit the hill to be promiscuous but that he, too, has heard of no criminal incidents in recent times.