MONTEGO BAY, St James — Deputy mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Dwight Crawford (Jamaica Labour Party, Spring Garden Division) has vowed to personally tackle the issue of stray cattle roaming the Fairview commercial area of Montego Bay. His promise came after mounds of dung had to be power washed from sections of Fairview Office Park.

“I am investigating to see who the owners of the cows are and I am going to make my people go down there and see them!” Crawford told the Jamaica Observer Monday.

“I will be paying them a visit personally because I have observed it and not only is it a danger and a nuisance in dealing with the waste matter, but it is also a hazard and it is inconsiderate of someone to think that it is OK to just have their livestock roaming all around the place like that,” he insisted.

Last weekend, several heads of cattle lazily munched on the manicured lawns of the office park. Most of them converged on an overgrown empty lot opposite the corporate centre of a major bank, but the cattle made their presence known to the general area.

“Their days are numbered, the people who have their livestock walking all over the place and feel like them can do anything, anywhere,” the deputy mayor raged.

He has asked individuals affected by the roaming animals to be patient as he moves to take action against the owners.

“I know persons would want us to deal with it now, but it is a process. But I can tell you once we’ve completed the process, a lot of persons are going be brought to bear. We’ll be coming down very hard on them!” Crawford vowed.

On Monday morning, staff members in the area turned up and found areas covered with generous amounts of cow dung, particularly in the area of one major bank’s automated banking machine.

“Them have to take hose and wash it off, man,” a security guard who works in the area told the Observer.

He asked not to be identified by name.

“Them mess up the whole place man, mess it up,” the security guard added.

He explained that disinfectant was used to prevent contamination by potential bacteria, but that was still not enough to get rid of the pungent scent of dung that lingered well into Monday afternoon.

The security guard is unsure where the animals eventually moved to, but believes they are still in the general area, waiting to return to the open lot. He is uncertain who they belong to, but thinks it should not be hard to find out as they are tagged.

“A some cow that are tagged so a people own,” he explained.

Stray cattle have long plagued the general area, especially Catherine Hall Sports Complex. In 2023, when they descended on the facility, Crawford urged animal owners not to use residential and commercial areas to rear livestock.

“Get a piece of land that is zoned for farming. Farm land is a cheap option, it is cheap to lease,” he said then.

He also warned owners of stray cattle that had descended on the facility that they risked seeing them impounded. However, cattle owners are well aware there is no animal pound in the parish, or in neighbouring ones, so that lessens the impact of the threat.

“In terms of where the pound is concerned, there was a town hall meeting where we had spoken about sending out requests for persons who are interested in operating that. That is still on the table,” Crawford told the
Observer Monday.

“I know that, administratively, the framework for that is being worked on now; it’s something we are looking at,” he added.

The municipal corporation also has plans to establish city limits and policies on the keeping of animals such as cattle and goats, based on guidelines under the Keeping of Animals Act of 1979.

An open lot beside a major bank’s corporate centre is where about 15 cows have taken up residence. 

A stray cow at Fairview Office Park in Montego Bay.