Kings Beach Debushed

So, they de-bushed the defunct Kings Beach Hotel property this week for the first time (as far as I know) since its closure several years ago. I know they are trying to sell the hotel (some say it's already sold) and a clean-up would certainly improve its curb appeal. However, it could, more importantly, have something to do with trying to clean up the area as a deterrence to the drug-landing activity that has been going on there. If that is the case, it hasn't worked as there was yet another shootout in the area early one morning this very week. Of course, there is no word of this in the lamestream media as that would impact visitor arrivals and hurt condo sales next door (not that they have been selling any condos at St. Peter's Bay lately). Yet it is this same hiding from the truth and the reality that will one day jump up and bite us all on the proverbial keister, as surely some innocent party (local or visiting) will be caught in the crossfire and pay the ultimate price.

There was at least one case last year (that this blogger is aware of) where drugs were successfully landed at Kings Beach in broad daylight, so bush or no bush, as long as Kings Beach remains in its dilapidated state drugs will be landed there. It is a shame that the scourge of illegal drugs have such a stranglehold in Barbados that this sort of thing is happening on our west coast beaches. De-bushing Kings Beach is not enough. Government needs to take a careful look at this escalating situation, and instead of pushing down buildings of historical and architectural interest around the country simply because they are old, Government needs to start leveling derelict beachfront hotel properties such as Kings Beach in the interest of public safety. It may be years again before anything is built at Kings Beach - that is too long to wait when currently residents in the area are being awakened in the middle of the night to the sound of automatic gunfire.