The State Department is advising Americans to reconsider travel to Jamaica, saying that violent crimes on the island are common and that sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.
Jamaica was issued a Level 3 travel advisory on Jan. 23; Level 1 is the lowest warning and Level 4 the highest.
It is the second time this month that the U.S. has raised concerns about crime in a popular Caribbean destination. On Jan. 26, the State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas, recommending that visitors exercise increased caution due to crime.
The Jamaica advisory says that the country's homicide rate is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The warning does not offer any details or specifics about sexual assaults at all-inclusive resorts.
"Violence and shootings occur regularly in many neighborhoods, communities, and parishes in Jamaica," the advisory says.
The warning also says that local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents and that emergency services and hospital care vary throughout the island and cannot always provide high-level or specialized care.
In its advisory, the State Department "strongly" encourages people going to Jamaica to obtain traveler's insurance, including medical evacuation insurance.