Crime Crime Crime!

We the island dwellers are so hardened by constant crime here that we do not pay Any attention anymore. Kidnaping without homicide is actually a good news. At least there is a happy ending  

When i move in to new place i always check the cistern for body parts.  

Whatever. Just last week, in crime-free Florida, a woman drowned her autistic son and blamed it on "two black men, one with dreads". She had attempted to drown the child earlier in the day, and he was rescued by passersby who heard his struggles. She then tried again, at a different location, and was successful. You people have some nerve coming on here and complaining about VI crime when black people are killed in America just for going jogging in a neighborhood and walking through a house under construction, like people do all the time. The level of violent crime here is nowhere near the level of the mainland, quit telling me crap about per capita. There is a retribution culture here. If you kill somebody, their family, friends, or associates will come for you. You are unlikely to get murdered here if you haven't murdered somebody. Maybe some of that would help with the wanton killing of black people on the mainland.

You are correct that murders in VI are mostly black on black crime. Senseless culture of retribution and drug trade. 
meanwhile $1M has been sitting in the coffers since 2014 for police cameras installation. 

@JahRustyFerrari

Sorry I am a bit confused. How did we get into the subject of black people? 

93% of black homicides in the states are black on black homicides. Violence everywhere. More here.

@JahRustyFerrari 

So like in the states - if I/we keep to ourselves then moving to St Croix is like moving to any other city  in the US

@stxdreaming1

JahRustyFerrari has a point. I don't recall ever hearing about a white man being killed by a police officer holding him down by his knee to the neck. 

Thankfully that doesn't happen in the VI but there sure is a lot of gang violence and payback killings, as well as a whole bunch of dudes who can't shoot for shit, leading to innocent bystanders getting hit.

@islandjoan

I'm still confused as to how we have moved the topic of conversation over to black people. The title of the news article says "Hotel Owner Kidnapped, Forced to Withdraw Cash From Multiple ATMs". It doesn't say "Black people kidnapped hotel owner". 

It is irrelevant that black people kidnapped the hotel owner. Could have been white people, brown people could have been anyone. The point I was making was that it is a crime in general. 

I agree with stxdreaming1, crime is crime, it shouldn’t matter the color of your skin, your political beliefs, gender, or anything for that matter.  There needs to be equal frustration and outrage for all crime and particularly for violent crime.  Families and communities are being devastated by the violence, the question is how does the community make it stop.  As long as it’s acceptable to the community it will never stop.  The police and government are part of the solution but if it’s cultural then it’s a much bigger problem than they can possibly handle alone.

Just read the 19 year old girl that was shot with her mom looking for an apartment has passed away.  So sad, may she rest in peace.  What a tragic event.  I don't even have words for it.  ? 

^was that on STX? I totally missed it. 

@STTsailor Yes, https://viconsortium.com/vi-crime/virgin-islands-the-19-year-old-woman-who-was-shot-while-in-a-car-looking-for-apartment-with-mother-has-died

^that is so sad and senseless killing. Essentially random so can’t be justified by retribution culture. The community has to stand up to all of this nonsense. The elders, senators , clergy. The community is not stepping forward with information. It’s a small community where everybody knows each other. We need death penalty. No point warehousing this type of perps.  

What a horrible senseless tragedy.  It will only be when the community has the courage to fight back against the people responsible for these acts that there can be a true team effort to stop this unnecessary destruction of life and liberty.  

Did you read the article? This was a retribution killing - only the gangbangers killed an innocent girl instead of their enemies who they thought were in the car. Perps were apprehended.

Death penalty only works as a deterrent when people are afraid to die. These young men were not afraid to die - they we looking for a gun battle in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood. 

Legalizing marijuana and not putting up barriers to doing that as the governor's proposed law does could ease some of this. Different rules for medical and adult - and restricting licensing for growing pot won't do anything to remedy the violent, illegal and untaxed drug culture in the VI.

Gangs in the VI fight over drug turf and the primary drug in the VI is marijuana.

Gangs in the VI fight over drug turf and the primary drug in the VI is marijuana.

It is certainly the primary drug in # of users.

The Turf wars are over the street value and distribution of a different drug -- it is a follow the Big Money scenario and that $ is coming from off island.

3 Million$$ caught earlier this month coming in by boat from PR in Brewers Bay STT   -- that is not grass money there.

@exit-zero

Out of pure interest, does the drugs stay in St Croix or does it get pushed elsewhere? $3 mil worth of gear is a lot if all being used just on STT/STX.

Regardless, drug deals and dealers don't discriminate. Deals are deals regardless of race. It's a canser the island needs to get rid of.

@Stxdreaming1

It is a cancer not limited to the USVI, it is a worldwide problem. Wherever you plant your roots the local drug culture will not be far away. It seems to me that you have already made up your mind, in that case I hope you are happy wherever you settle. I personally am very comfortable in my St. Croix envirorment, as many have said just be smart where you are, no different than state side.

While I’m likely considered old fashioned on many issues, I’m a proponent of legalizing drugs (not simply marijuana), treating them somewhat like alcohol, regulating the quality, official sales channels , age limits and thresholds for driving and so on.  I believe once there are affordable legal channels and quality controls in place you take a huge percentage of the crime and stigma out of the industry.  It also makes it easier for people to ask for help.  People are doing this anyway, let’s pull back the curtain and try and help those in need and stop subsidizing the crime by keeping the profits high and in the hands of criminals.

I don't think that the USVI has the wherewithal to regulate and control drugs. It will be a quick downhill slide when they legalize them. IMHO, of course. ? 

Posted by: @east-ender

I don't think that the USVI has the wherewithal to regulate and control drugs. It will be a quick downhill slide when they legalize them. IMHO, of course. ? 

This is likely why its taken so long to get the medical marijuana business going.

The GVI doesn't have a clue as to how to properly control and regulate it.

This isn't a surprise...they can't proper control or regulate anything. 

@islandjoann Google Tony Timpa from Dallas Texas. He was murdered by 3 policemen while they restrained him too. But of course the media did not make a big deal about it because he was white. The sad thing is he called the police on himself because he was having a schizophrenic episode while off his meds.

@islandjoanwhite people are killed by cops. i think the point is you just dont hear about it because it never makes the news.  its not inflammatory 

Posted by: @vicanuck

Posted by: @east-ender

I don't think that the USVI has the wherewithal to regulate and control drugs. It will be a quick downhill slide when they legalize them. IMHO, of course. ? 

This is likely why its taken so long to get the medical marijuana business going.

The GVI doesn't have a clue as to how to properly control and regulate it.

This isn't a surprise...they can't proper control or regulate anything. 

The Caribbean cannabis business (medical and recreational) is being legalized/decriminalized down island in St. Vincent and Dominica - both growing and selling. The illegal business and all its messiness is being pushed elsewhere.