Crime in St. Thomas

Take the same precautions you would take as if you were still living in DC. Last year, the VI per capita murder rate was comparable to Chicago. Other crime stats compare similarly. The VI is a small town with a big city crime problem and you should plan accordingly. Key West, it is not.

(But we like it anyway.)

VB

Please don't continue yet another thread about crime.....just read the previous many many posts that have addressed this issue. Main point in any discussion about crime:
look at your own newspaper for what makes headlines there. A good bet is that there is a host of crime stories as well.......as is true of any city. Since we are islands, think of a small town tv station....even WGN Chicago for heavens sake - what are the lead stories always? Please don't anybody repsond to this.....let yet another thread on crime end here.

Just move here and enjoy - if not to your liking - your choice - little late to make a different decision and definately not worth one seconds thought of your time at this "late hour".

I sincerely apologize for touching a nerve with so many people on the topic or crime. I had no idea there was such a hush-hush attitude regarding the subject. I want to thank those who replied to me personally with some tips and discussions. I didn't know moving to the territory would require such a hear-no-evil stance on the issue, a kind of Schrodinger's cat approach: if you don't look at it, it isn't there.

There's a lot of that on this board and, frankly, I don't understand it. No one is saying "this is a horrible place" because of the crime, but it's a fact of life down here. And, most importantly, if you don't know about it, you can't possibly prepare yourself for it. It's not any worse than DC, but most people moving to a tiny, Caribbean island *don't expect* to encounter the kind of crime that they would in a major metropolitan area.

Sticking your head in the sand about it, Island Paul, does nothing to either alleviate the crime problem, or prepare new residents for it. At worst, you're actively putting people at risk by keeping them ignorant. It's a great place to live--if you're prepared.

Once again, it's not the FACT OF the high crime here that is remarkable, it is the UNEXPECTED NATURE OF IT IN SUCH A SMALL PLACE that is.

You didn't touch a nerve with me, Justin. But Island Paul certainly did.

VB

Justin,

Island Paul simply made the same reply that a lot of us do to questions that have been explained in great detail in any number of previous threads (shipping a car and cost of living seem to be the two most popular). Paul's right, there's a huge number of posts about this topic, including one or two in which I spent a lot of time talking about this subject from the perspective of someone who was planning to move here from DC. (I made that move three months ago, and love it. Would never back to DC or any large city again.)

Frankly, I don't think I could come up with all of the thoughts that are included in that previous thread if I gave myself two days to do it , so I feel it perfectly appropriate to ask folks to take a look at older posts when it will give them far better info than I can either remember or have time to reproduce right now.

There is no such thing as a hush hush topic here (as long as the ground rules for posts are respected), nor do many subjects touch a nerve with the members of this community. However, the repeated visits from a racist who uses this topic as the venue to spew hateful garbage that doesn't comply with the board standards, I join Island Paul in being less than eager to tempt that person with a new discussion -- particularly when the topic has already received dozens of posts from dozens of people.

Just my two cents.

If you'd like to talk more about our relocation from DC, feel free to email me -- would be happy to talk about anything and everything weith you.

HipCrip

I do not ignore crime, nor do I feel it is a hush hush subject. The purpose of this message board is to help and I have done all I can to contribute to that. I did not intend to 'keep you in the dark' - I referred you instead to all the many previous posts with tremendously insightful comments from many many different folks.

I try very hard to write a post that will be understood, but so often seem to fail.

I wish you the very best.

Eyes wide open, and an awareness of ones surroundings is always a good policy - anywhere.

Justin,
Your quesiton is perfectly legitimate and Im sure most of us who moved to St. Thomas considered it to a certain degree. I worked in D.C. and my family was worried because at the time it was the murder capital of the U.S. As you know most the crime in D.C. happens in a very compact and easily avoidable area. If you maintain the awareness of your surroundings that you probably already use in DC you will be fine. For those who dont want to answer the same questions over and over again maybe they should create a board for regualars and locals to just chat because everyone who comes to this board considering moving to the V.I.'s always has basically the same questions. My main concern moving to St. Thomas was finding a place I felt safe and would be comfortable leaving my wife in the event of an off island business trip. My short answer is look long and hard for a place you and your family feel comfortable and ask a lot of questions.

Justin,

Read, read, read. This website is a great tool for learning a lot about everything that revolves around a move to the VI. I think that everybody who was serious about making the move/or have made the move, pretty much read every post about everything. Its just very insightful and helpful. The more you read the more prepared you will be and the smoother the transition will be. It will also give you some time to ask for some specifics that you need help with. Thats what all these good people are here to do.

Justin,

I think once you settle in on St. Thomas, you will be preoccupied with concerns other than crime, such as, Will my cistern be dry at the end of the week, or, Will the power go out while I'm typing up this post.

To see how St. Thomas compares with Miami or New Orleans, I believe you go to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. Are certain areas more vulnerable? Of course, mostly the housing projects and lower-income neighborhoods, as in D.C. There is no need to take "extra precautions." Take the same precautions as you do now. There is no hush-hust attitude toward crime. People talk about it all the time, and it often seems that there is a lot more talking than actual committing.

How about this... just as there are 'moving guides, etc.' on this site, why not have someone (I'd do it, but I'm not a resident, so what do I know about what is good info!?), gather all of the posts on crime, take what is accurate and helpful for a prospective visitor/future resident, and make it's own 'Crime Info Link'?

Like it or not, it is a topic that comes up again and again (and again and again!)! So why not make it readily available in one place with all of the garbage and hatred removed!?

Just a suggestion... if it isn't done within 9 years, I'll volunteer for the job when I move there.

Doug

Type Crime in the search box at the top of the screen...........guess I should have suggested HOW to find what I was trying to have you read.