Crime in St. Croix How to evaluate objectively

I've had a gun in my face or ribs 4 or 5 times here, but I'm a bartender an usually keep late hours, in not the best of spots at time, so it's not shocking when it happens.

You know, I've let a lot of things go by here. This was one.

According to Jamison, getting a gun stuck in your face is so common that it is no longer shocking after you have been there for a while.

He claims being a bartender is more susceptible to robbery than the common person on the street, but the reality is that you really have to have balls to walk into an establishment and commit an armed robbery, with so many witnesses about.

Jamison, I am not sure as to your intent of writing, and I have taken liberty with your post.

It was asked what was done with stolen cars, and I answered in a flat, matter of fact way.

Edit: people here just can't deal with the facts.

Perhaps you can educate us a bit in what we can do so not to be a target for carjacking? Maybe you might have an insiders look that we do not know about?

Drive fast, and if someone steps in front of your car, run them over.

I have attempted this on STT twice, when carjackers tried to stop me. Both times in front of Yacht Haven. One was a person who stepped out into the street and tried to stop me, and he jumped into the bushes when I punched it and aimed the car at him. The second time was two people on motorcycles that tried by getting in front of me and slowing down to get me to stop. I punched it again, hitting both bikes almost knocking them off of the bikes.

My mother had the experience of driving with a local once (she did not live on the islands and was divorced from my father) who did not stop at stop signs with people standing close by. My mother asked why, and he told her it is not smart to stop in that situation.

Is this factual enough for the people here?

Edit: because of the proximity of Yacht Haven to the projects, there have been many carjackings there, at least in the 1980s

Oh to add: It is convenient that the police in the USVI did not report records and the daily blotter to the news in the 1980s. The Daily News in the USVI sued to gain access to the records in the mid 1990s. The record house, across the street from the governors mansion and a tennis balls throw from the main fire department on STT, burned to the ground in late 1989.

I've had a gun in my face or ribs 4 or 5 times here, but I'm a bartender an usually keep late hours, in not the best of spots at time, so it's not shocking when it happens.

You know, I've let a lot of things go by here. This was one.

According to Jamison, getting a gun stuck in your face is so common that it is no longer shocking after you have been there for a while.

He claims being a bartender is more susceptible to robbery than the common person on the street, but the reality is that you really have to have balls to walk into an establishment and commit an armed robbery, with so many witnesses about.

Jamison, I am not sure as to your intent of writing, and I have taken liberty with your post.

I don't know if I'd call it "common", but as a person who has spent plenty of times in bad areas in major cities, I've certainly had a gun pulled on me here, more than anywhere else. I think it's fair to admit there is a gun and drug problem here.

I didn't claim bartending makes you more susceptible to being robbed either. I do claim being out in town, around 4 am, after drinking, as well as being friends or acquaintances with all types of folks around town, hence putting myself, a bartender, in situations that aren't always safe. I work for 3 women. In the last three years, one was attacked with machetes while being robbed, the other pistol whipped while being robbed.

Yes, crime can be bad here. Yes tending bar can put you in a bad situation.

Good Luck Jamison. It's a shame anyone has to endure any type of crime in our lovely islands and from all the posters on the board it has affected, I wil consider myself very lucky not to have endured any similar situations.

Downtown STT used to have a thriving night life scene years ago but has become a ghost town after dark for the most part due to crime over the course of the years.It's sad to see a place one loves become a victim of it's own Government's lack of care, concern and abilities.

i dont think because someone talks about crimes, makes it boastful. we do not know the tone or inflection he is using when talking about these.

I think the smiley emoticon he displays in the last post answers that question.

IT

Drive fast, and if someone steps in front of your car, run them over.

GREAT ADVICE!

Then when your car is id'd YOU get to be charged with and forced to defend a vehicular manslaughter (or attempted) charge! BRILLIANT!

IT

Drive fast, and if someone steps in front of your car, run them over.

GREAT ADVICE!

Then when your car is id'd YOU get to be charged with and forced to defend a vehicular manslaughter (or attempted) charge! BRILLIANT!

IT

Better than dying.

Drive fast, and if someone steps in front of your car, run them over.

GREAT ADVICE!

Then when your car is id'd YOU get to be charged with and forced to defend a vehicular manslaughter (or attempted) charge! BRILLIANT!

IT

Better than dying.

Well that's why we should all be armed.

/sarc

IT

The more I live in the VI, the more I support Open Carry. And I've never been the victim of a violent crime.

The more I read on this board the more I believe handguns need to be outlawed.

The more I live in the VI, the more I support Open Carry. And I've never been the victim of a violent crime.

I sleep with a machete. SO much easier than getting a gun permit. I've also carried around giant canisters of hornet spray when walking around C'sted at night (used to live in town). Great for blinding a potential mugger.

IT

iris, i did not see it or it did not register

iris, i did not see it or it did not register

This was the one:

Re: Crime in St. Croix How to evaluate objectively

noOne [ PM ]
August 28, 2014 01:03PM

Registered: 3 years ago
Posts: 1,441

You only all hate me because I am a truthful person =)

--

Happy to help.

IT

iris, i did not see it or it did not register

This was the one:

Re: Crime in St. Croix How to evaluate objectively

noOne [ PM ]
August 28, 2014 01:03PM

Registered: 3 years ago
Posts: 1,441

You only all hate me because I am a truthful person =)

--

Happy to help.

IT

And ... to noOne ... I don't think any one "hates" you; it's just really, really, really inappropriate and insensitive to boast about getting away with criminal activity without remorse. I can't imagine how many lives you've traumatized. Using smiley emotions doesn't help your argument either.

Just MHO.

IT

Everybody has a past.

Personally, I don't see the difference between blinding your attacker with bug spray and running them over.

Personally, I don't see the difference between blinding your attacker with bug spray and running them over.

Well, one could potentially kill them. The other wouldn't.

Attempted murder versus reasonable self defense is the difference between life in jail and life on the beach.

IT

Everybody has a past.

Fer true.

Doesn't mean one needn't take responsibility for it.

IT

I travel with wasp spray in my truck.
I figure if it'll kill a wasp at 6-10 ft., it will deter someone next to my window and at least provide time to move on down the road.

Traveling with a large dog helps as well.
I was paused at a stop sign once and a guy came up to my window.
I had my Bear dog traveling in the passenger seat. He leapt across to my seat, fangs bared, head out the window to put himself between me and the person. Poor guy was just asking for a ride but gave him a heart attack instead.

I miss my Bear (RIP) but my other dogs do step up when required. Bear was a rescue from the shelter, a wonderful and extremely protective companion. Yes, he was neutered.

I travel with wasp spray in my truck.
I figure if it'll kill a wasp at 6-10 ft., it will deter someone next to my window and at least provide time to move on down the road.

Traveling with a large dog helps as well.
I was paused at a stop sign once and a guy came up to my window.
I had my Bear dog traveling in the passenger seat. He leapt across to my seat, fangs bared, head out the window to put himself between me and the person. Poor guy was just asking for a ride but gave him a heart attack instead.

I miss my Bear (RIP) but my other dogs do step up when required. Bear was a rescue from the shelter, a wonderful and extremely protective companion. Yes, he was neutered.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who came up with the wasp spray idea. It's not lethal, but it'll give you time to get away.

I still frequent a certain isolated beach and I always take my friend's Ridgeback. Once, I ran into someone I knew on the beach but the dog wouldn't let him within 20 yards of me. I kept saying, "I'm sorry, he's not my dog. He's just not good with strangers."

My friend replied: "Lady, I don't think he knows he's not your dog."

IT

Does bad stuff happen here; YES! Its it fact that some bad stuff happens here BUT BUT BUT like I said three years ago when I started on this board and before I moved here, you have to realize that you're painting a picture for future residents.

RE: the Yacht Haven car jacking: RROOFFLLMMAAOO. UM no that doesn't happen any more, the 80s were a LONGGG time ago dude.

I have had two cars broken into one on STX one STT. I had stuff in both that I shouldn't have left. I don't go out late to bars (past midnight) hammered, flashing money or buying drugs in dark alleys. I'd like to thing I live in a pretty safe neighborhood with an alarm and a neighborhood watch. This is the same as when I lived in the states. Sleeping with a machete?? Seriously? I would not live in a neighborhood that I had to sleep with a machete. That's a bit much. I know if I lived in downtown Phoenix I would be worried like that but not in the least here in STT.

When I first started on this forum I almost canceled moving here because of all of the crime talk. Then I visited STX for a month and realized that 98% of what is posted here about crime is total bull crap and totally sensationalized. I know that there are a few on here like Rotor that have had some terrible things happen and I truly feel for them, hoping they never have to encounter a situation like that again. I believe that is the exception, not the rule.

And now someone will throw the murder rate in my face and I will tell the people reading this that don't live here. Look up who it is being murdered... young men in drugs and gangs many of them retaliation killings. If you are into drugs and gangs when you move here then yes you will see and be involved in more crime than the rest of us. Sometimes, rarely - an innocent gets involved. Its sad but it happens. This doesn't mean that you're going to get mugged, raped and killed if you're just going about your business driving to work. If you go to isolated beaches, don't leave anything on your car and be aware of your surroundings and don't put yourself in dangerous situations. PERIOD. As a world traveler I have seen MUCH MUCH worse. Hell even in Paris I felt WAY less safe than I do here. Ill take downtown CA vs. Paris at night any day! Or even Belize for that matter! Whoa. I wont go back there. "Tives" are opportunistic - and lazy. If you leave an opportunity for them to better themselves; they'll take it. Be smart. Lock up, don't be stupid, out late, involved in drugs and gangs and be aware. If you feel off in a situation - GTFO. Its as simple as that.

If you're a newbie moving from the mainland, from a gated community where you and your neighbors have tea every day and you've never known of anyone or yourself being a victim of a crime, then yea it might be a little bit of a shock when you move here. Things don't work like they do stateside BUT please don't think that you'll be killed for your cell phone or that there are gun toting bandits watching your every move running wild. LOL! Its simply not like that and I know where imaginations can run.

To answer the OP: The best way to be objective is go read the cases for yourself! The VIPD posts on their website and you can read the papers. Don't rely on this board when it comes to crime because well..... unfortunately you will get the worst case scenario. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Nice writeup Aand, but the facts are no on your side of the court.

Dude, NoOne. You have absolutely NO bearing in this conversation based on that and the one simple fact that you seem to forget: YOU DO NOT LIVE HERE. If this thread was titled "How was the crime in the 80s and 90s?" Then and only then could you chime in.

I could give a rats ass if you grew up here. We are now in 2014. Even WOSRE is you take no personal responsibility on your past actions and you even have the audacity too BLAME your behaviors on growing up in STX. Are you insane? Your should be completely ashamed of yourself and maybe behind bars but certainly NOT giving out advice to law abiding citizens who wish to move here. Step away from the computer and find something productive to do WHERE YOU ACTUALLY LIVE and please stop posting.

Have a great day.