Jamaica's tourism. Jamaica, of course, is not unique because we already have the deep concern in Florida created by attacks on visitors.

Both holiday areas contain a warning for Bermuda that crimes against visitors do not pay. However, there is another warning to Bermuda in crimes in both Florida and Jamaica. Very often the criminals are armed with guns. While Bermudian crime is usually free of firearms, we are increasingly concerned that Bermuda may be "soft on guns''.

The new measures in Jamaica came days after Jamaican businessmen formed a pressure group to lobby for tough anti-crime proposals. The group was formed in response to the May 2 killing of 32-year old visitor Norris Rayham who, ironically, comes from Orlando, Florida.

Mr. Rayham was killed after three men armed with knives and guns forced their way into the guest house where he and his wife were staying near the Jamaican north coast resort of Ocho Rios. An autopsy revealed Rayham died of a gunshot wound to the chest. The killing received considerable publicity in Florida because Mr. Rayham was a well-known community activist and his wife a TV anchorwoman.

Under pressure to curb crimes against tourists, Jamaica's national security minister has outlined plans to speed up the judicial process so that hangings can resume this year. The last hanging in Jamaica was in April 1988.

Jamaican hoteliers claim that as a result of rising crime, tourism in April and May fell to its lowest level in a decade. Jamaica had 1.6 million visitors last year, earning $950.8 million from tourism which is the country's largest single earner of foreign exchange.

In response to the shooting of Mr. Rayham, hoteliers took the unprecedented step of revealing to the local press some of the more gruesome incidents of tourist harassment to illustrate how bad the problem is.

Jamaican newspapers printed accounts of a paraplegic woman in a wheelchair who had a cigarette burned into her forehead by an angry vendor after she refused to buy something; of a security guard who was stabbed in the lobby of the island's largest hotel; and of three male visitors who were held hostage while their wives were sent back to their hotel to get money to secure their release.

Bermuda has been increasingly concerned about crimes against visitors. It should be. One of Bermuda's great attractions for visitors and locals is its safety. We must do what we can to retain that safety.

It may be that we should support community watch groups, an idea which has been supported by the Commissioner of Police. We certainly should continue concern about the Police Force, its organisation and morale. Public awareness is a beginning because if the public makes it clear that it will not tolerate growing crime that is a start.