OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Disappointed at what he said have been unkept promises, immediate past president of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce Pixley Irons is again calling on the authorities to increased policing and other safety measures within the town of Ocho Rios.

With the influx of out-of-towners into the resort town, he said, there is need for a more visible police presence, improved lighting, and a more effective closed-circuit TV system.

“When you check on weekends on the number of people in Ocho Rios that are not from Ocho Rios, we really need more policing. We really need… more motor vehicles — that is one of the biggest concerns right now,” he said.

Irons was speaking with journalists after a recent meeting with members of the St Ann Chamber of Commerce, the Ocho Rios Chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, and other stakeholders.

He stressed the importance of having cameras in place that are able to provide actionable footage, even after some time has passed. Some privately installed cameras tape over footage after a certain time has elapsed, and there has long been concern about the quality of images produced.

“I had an incident the other day and right now the camera can’t pick up anybody after one week. But, they said they are working on it so let’s hope that something will come,” Irons noted.

He is hoping action will be taken soon to implement his suggestions and others he said have been bandied about over the years.

“We have been hearing these things and promises long ago and it is full time for them to come to fore, full time now. We hear about transportation and resources for Ocho Rios; this is a big tourist area and we need those things to come to fore now before things get worse,” he cautioned.