Cops and their guns...

I'm shocked, absolutely shocked. His brother in law is probably his immediate supervisor. But I really am shocked that this would go on in such an efficiently run police department.

/sarc meter now off

I HEAR YOU! It just blows my mind when I hear about crap like this going on in the USVI. I read what people write on this post stating that the same thing goes on in the states. That to is also a bunch of crap! I would bet a million dollars if I had it that if a cop ever did anything like what this guy has done he would be locked up for life. Only in the USVI can this sort of thing happen time and time again. I hate to say it but things will never change as long as the USVI government doesn't start making education the top priority, preiod. All of this crap will continue because of uneducated police officers and uneducated government officials and eveyone else that makes important decisions. UNEDUCATED breeds IGNORANTS, IGNORANTS breeds innocent people getting hurt! GOD bless you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS. That's right, MERRY CHRISTMAS. Not Happy Holidays or anything else.

... and yet I'm still happy here. Don't make enemies and you won't have problems.

What about those that have to put up with the crap and I agree with Buttercup when it happens on the mainland, it is dealt with.

I have to disagree. In the states, the police unions are so strong, it is almost impossible to fire an officer.

tfairchild,

I too am happy living here but I don't understand your, "Don't make enemies and you won't have problems" stance. Inaction permits corruption to flourish and even the kindest, least contentious among us will eventually have problems. Some individuals may have the means to walk away from their investments in real estate, businesses, and friendships should the situation deteriorate to dangerous levels but most island residents do not have this luxury.

Come on out here to Los Angeles where Chief Bratton has a low appreciation of that. Most bad cops who beat and rape wouldn't stand a chance even with their peers. Unfortunately in the VI's there is no peer pressure.

I find that there are those on this board who post time and time again how "we need to do something about this." They seem to consider posting on this board as "doing something about it." I would make a poor district attorney, as I would make a poor police officer. So while we can all talk about it there is little that we can actually do about things. Its going to take someone to take a stand in a situation where they themselves are victimized.

As soon as I become a victim of police corruption, I will fight it to the death, as I will have a cause and a means to. In the meantime, I refuse to live in fear and let things outside of my control rain on my parade.

The fact that my post was meant to incite is obvious; my intentions were clear. How many of you have personally had encountered true corruption, and not just Caribbean inefficiency and stubbornness? So much of this talk simply seems to be bark sans bite.

Many of you will talk about civic responsibility and voting, but first you must find appropriate candidates in which to vote for. I am all for making change, but how many ideas have actually been presented in order to make them? Most of this has been me playing the role of devil's advocate, but do think about how much your life is really affected and how much you actually can do to make things better.

tfairchild,

I don't need to be hit by a car to feel overwhelming sadness when my neighbor's child is mowed down by a hit and run driver. Many of us have the ability to empathize with those who suffer without first-hand experience with the particular form of suffering with which we empathize. Injustice is easy to ignore when one enjoys membership in privileged gender, racial and economic groups but it is often only those so privileged that have the resources to fight injustice. You may have the good fortune to be personally unaffected by corruption but many of your neighbors are not as fortunate as you. I do not accept morally reprehensible behavior on the part of government officials. There are a number of ways in which I fight for my convictions and posting on this board is NOT one of them. I do not know you tfairchild, but I would nevertheless fight for your right to be treated fairly and I would hope you'd fight for mine.

tfairchild:

What are you saying? That you post to incite? That's almost being a troll. And playing the role of "devil's advocate"?
Why? Do we need a devil's advocate? I don't think so.

Putting your head and in the sand and not reacting till you are personally affected is short-sighted, at best.

Gee whiz, fairchild, you put yourself into a bit of a tizz-whaz there, I think.

You ran me through the mill after you drove "Island Paul's" car which he'd left with me to sell. You drove it, paid for it and took it "as is."

When it broke down two days later, both Paul (off-island) and I {on island) went way beyond the norm in trying to satisfy you where the purchase was concerned.

And,well,you were all about a lawsuit when you posted a query about an attorney on island who might be able to deal with a potential civil suit regarding that damned car!

Gee whiz, fairchild, you're a NEWBIE, You don't know everything and isn't it better in general to listen rather than speak?

Apologies if this old lady is too testy.

"Don't make enemies and you won't have problems"-thus quoteth tfairchild.

Now given what STT wrote....LOL

It's about 6.15 in the morning and I almost spit my coffee into the computer.

Old ain't nothing to be ashamed of.....LOL

After reading the Daily News article, there is an even darker side to this issue, given that this is the SAME police officer involved in the two year, un-resolved, un-charged killing of Calvin Lockhart.

tfairchild,

I laughed so hard when after reading your comment... "As soon as I become a victim of police corruption, I will fight it to the death, as I will have a cause and a means to"... I see you bought Island Paul's car! BUUWahhh ha ha ha!!! Quit blowing smoke up our skirts... it is now obvious you have no "means"! ROFLOL

You are such a funny NOOB!

tfairchild,

you seem to be just the type of person who you are complaining about, pontificating on the message board and doing nothing locally to better the state of our territory. I,m somewhere between a newbie and a been here a while(7 years), and since our 6 month pmv 7 years ago i knew there was alot i could do, and that needed to be done. i don't claim to be a grand fixer of the state of afairs, but i do alot with the youth of our island in the form of field trips to our nursery, and ddonating to their summertime cleanup projects. i do think that the damage has been done to the current ways our government is run and it will take a while for things to straighten out, but we must start now, with the youth of this island so that one day a coversation like this would be out of the ordinary.

mark

p.s. who gave you the right to get everyone ryled up anyhow

http://www.pulitzer.org/year/1995/public-service/works/

this sort of thing has been going on since the early 1980s at least.

Hopefully the US government will look towards St Thomas and investigate Police activities. IN general they are just doing their job, a handful are corupt and run rought shod over the population. They get a wrist slapping when caught and sent out to do more of the same.

I dont know how the locals would react if the national guard were brought in to police the area.

Dear Tammy:

Reference your comment about the local reaction to the National Guard being brought in to police the area, you're probably not aware that a huge contingent of our local National Guard from STT and STX who are usually deployed either (a) here in the Virgin Islands and throughout the Caribbean chain when hurricanes and other natural disasters hit; or (b) throughout the U.S. mainland, ditto - many went to help after Katrina; and (c) often outside the U.S. to help in "natural disasters." has been consistently deployed for a very long time in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

You might want to think about that, given that resident Virgin Islanders don't have the right to vote in presidential elections...

They became "bonded" per se by enlisting in the National Guard to afford them a further education, which enabled them to make a living and support their families. When they first enlisted they in no way envisaged that they would be eventually shipped out to dodge bullets.

I have a lot more to say about all this but that's really not for this forum. Just wanted to comment on your comment!

Happy Mew Year to all and may we all continue to take stock in the upcoming year, stop mussing and fussing about the inconsequentials and pay more attention to what we can do to make the world a better place.

Half-hearted platitudes don't cut the mustard! Neither do people who don't THNK and don't do their homework.