Firearms ownership

I looked at what I stand to loose by moving from Florida and what I stand to gain from moving to the islands and the more I think of it the more it doesn't make sense to me. I started with big hopes but when I hear about a corrupted local government, bad infrastructure, iffy health care and poor services, bad roads and higher cost of living for less services, I wonder why I want to do this... Not totally done with it but it is getting in the back burner for now.... As far as safer and more sensitive gun laws than in stateside, I probably have more fire power than the entire STX PD and never shot at anyone since I got out the service 25 years ago.... I wish and hope that the tens of thousands of dollars that I spent on my gun collection was the worse investment that I ever made. I am also a personal defense instructor and a professional Glock instructor. Anyways, I appreciate all of your guys inside full information on this subject.

Maybe, the VIPD could use your expertise!
Lord knows, they need all the help they can get!
There's your job!

A couple of friends of mine were paramedics and taught training courses.
They always had some stories to tell!
Not necessarily all good ones but interesting.

Come for 6 months or a year and check it out.
Only you know your needs and tolerance levels.
It could be a nice interlude, becoming permanent or it could send you running back to the mainland, pulling your hair out!

You never know until you try!

That is whet we will probably do... Come and spends maybe 3 months there and comeback. I could probably teach the VIPD a thing or two based on my military experience... No hair to pull here... LOL all shaved off for the past 20 years... LOL

Then you'll be ahead of the game, no pun intended!
What time of year would you plan on being here for?

The organizations that help domestic violence victims could probably use self defense classes for their staff and community members. The general public on all islands may also be interested, and maybe the VIPD could offer them as a public service.

Yes, the VIPD needs help, but they need a long-term plan, and I think UVI may be helping them draft one.

Probably December, January and February... For starters anyway...

That is whet we will probably do... Come and spends maybe 3 months there and comeback. I could probably teach the VIPD a thing or two based on my military experience... No hair to pull here... LOL all shaved off for the past 20 years... LOL

One thing that people here seem to hate is outsiders coming in and telling/teaching them 'how we do things in the states'

And that's why we have the problems that we do because cronyism and ineptitude trumps competence in our lovely islands.

Take a look at WMA, WAPA and all the various government run departments. Look at the audits by the OIG that come out on the waste, the misspending, mismanagement and incompetence that permeates them.

I have no clue what you are talking about... I never ever said anything about how we do things in the states... All that I did was to ask if anyone knew what the rules were regarding fire arms... Then as I expected , the flaming started... I wanted to move there so we could retire and yet still enjoy the things that we enjoy... I wanted to start a business that would have created at least 8 jobs from day one... Everything that I have said got shut down by few individuals... I guess that also starting a self defense clinic wouldn't set well with some either... The place needs jobs, it needs any help it can get in fighting back crime, it needs any influx of money, large or small... And all that I got was negativity... What is wrong with this picture??

That is whet we will probably do... Come and spends maybe 3 months there and comeback. I could probably teach the VIPD a thing or two based on my military experience... No hair to pull here... LOL all shaved off for the past 20 years... LOL

One thing that people here seem to hate is outsiders coming in and telling/teaching them 'how we do things in the states'

ghost rider-dont worry about the arguing, has less to do with you than you think. come out for your pmv and see how you like it, but if the guns are a deciding factor??

ghost rider-dont worry about the arguing, has less to do with you than you think. come out for your pmv and see how you like it, but if the guns are a deciding factor??

First he said he could teach the VIPD a thing or two.. Second not just if guns are the deciding factor. My point all along was not about guns. I never once flamed him over guns. My point was about things. Materialistic things. He just wants an argument or he really has poor comprehension skills. I think I made myself pretty clear over and over but this is where entrenched ideology overtakes rational thought.

I don't think Cruzaniron was necessarily flaming you but there is that attitude here when it comes to expertise from statesiders which would behoove all of us if people in positions of power and so called leadership would get over it. It can be challenging.

The VI has a sad history of placing the unqualified and inept as department heads who end up wasting millions of dollars both taxpayer and federal funding.

May Cornwall who is the head of VI Waste Management Authority immediately comes to mind as one such individual. There are more.

Jan - March are our busiest tourist months and rentals during that time period will be significantly more expensive than at other times
of the year. It may be a challenge to find a short-term rental during this period for a 3 month span as most vacation rentals will make more renting weekly than on a monthly basis. It can be done but you'll want to begin that search ASAP. There are rental car agencies that lease cars on a monthly basis and it would be best to arrange for that, well in advance, too if you're set on those months.

Things slow down and vacation rental rates drop from May and continue to get lower as summer progresses until season picks up once again mid-Nov. There is more availability during this period.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

I don't think Cruzaniron was necessarily flaming you

Alana, I think you are confusing me with someone else.

What is wrong with this picture??

There's nothing intrinsically wrong. It's common to all forums that it's often very hard to gauge the tone of a response when one doesn't have the benefit of sight and vocal inflection cues. It's also of no benefit to any prospective newcomer if everyone puts out the welcome mat and assures you that it's all hunky dory and everything will be great - when the statistics demonstrate exactly the opposite.

As has been mentioned either earlier on this thread or on another, there really are very few regular contributors to this forum but the islands ARE a huge melting pot of colors and creeds so you simply have to sift the wheat from the chaff and make your own plans to see if this really would be a good fit for you. You come, you see and, if conquering doesn't work out, then you simply walk away with the satisfaction of knowing that you at least tried.

sparty, i was speaking in a generalization. not just on this topic but all topics. if you notice a lot of the threads have some form of sniping that has nothing to do with the original topic.

in no way was i belittling what words of wisdom were being offered.

No worries. I take everything here without offense.

I don't think Cruzaniron was necessarily flaming you

Alana, I think you are confusing me with someone else.

Sorry, didn't mean to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Flame on if that's your preference! Cheese n bread!

The smell of the gun powder in the air, the sounds of random gun shots, the armed supermarket employees, and lots of barbed wire, set against the beautiful turquoise waters of the Caribbean see, were memorable experiences during my short stay in west STX. This contrast between the overwhelming beauty and the sobering ugliness felt grotesque, incomprehensible.

I wonder, if I got a concealed carry permit, where would I stick a gun if I wear shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops? And what about when I am on a beach in my swimming trunks and nothing else? Would I carry my Glock wrapped in a beach towel?

so, a shooting this weekend in sunny isles.

thanks sparty

Ghost Rider,

If you think attitudes are bad on here, just wait till you get to the actual islands!

I'm a ray of golden sunshine on here and in person... Riding my unicorn dropping skittles upon the world

Ghost Rider,

If you think attitudes are bad on here, just wait till you get to the actual islands!

I was on the island for a week. St. Croix and only encountered one rude person. I made efforts to approach locals of all persuasions and did not encounter, but that one single teen-ager.

I hope my brief visit was representative of how people are...generally.

OK, so if it isn't about things then what is it all about it?? If I asked about bringing my guns, I have been told that is shouldn't be about "things"... So would you tell a golfer not to bother bringing his clubs if he/she relocates if there was a golf course. Would you tell a sailor not to bring his/her sail boat because relocating to USVI is not about your "things"... So you see why I am a bit upset, a bit disappointed, a bit dismayed about the way this conversation changed directions?? I am 60 years old and proud father of twin girls that just got out of medical school 2 years ago.. I always told my girls that in life it is not what you say, it is about how you are saying it......
So why I am so stuck into my bringing my firearms into the Islands?? Without getting into every detail, because my career in the Navy, my life and my family's life could be in danger as long as I will be on the face of the earth... I want to protect it and it is my right. And with this, I will be done discussing this subject. Once again, thanks for all the info that I got from most of you and to the rest, thanks for nothing!

I worked in federal law enforcement on St. Thomas for almost 6 years and it was hard for ME to get a permit for concealed carry (not that I needed it but I wanted to be covered regardless.) I can't imagine how much of a headache it must be for a non-LEO to get a "possession" permit, much less a concealed carry permit.

My personal opinion is you should leave your collection elsewhere and here's why:

1.) On St. Thomas there was no place to shoot except the police range behind the dump. I think STX has a public range, but I can't imagine it being anywhere near what you'd expect in the states.
2.) Too hard and too much headaches dealing with the VI police to get them registered. Assuming they even give you a permit, they will probably come to your house to "inspect" where you will keep your guns (safe, gun cabinet, etc). And you will have to get a permit for EACH firearm you have. Way too much hassle and anti-gun politics for me....
3.) Don't think it wont get out to the wrong people that you have a big gun collection. Gun permits are public information and any hoodlum on the street can find out who has guns (assuming the corrupt police don't give out that info anyways). That being said, burglaries are VERY common on the islands so do you REALLY want to risk it?
4.) You will have to declare them when you ship them down for customs. This opens up more risk to them being stolen by the shipping companies or seized by customs which would be a whole other headache getting them back. AND you'll have to turn them over to the police within 24 hours of receiving them until you get your permits. If you go through a dealer it's safer, but you'll still have to wait until you get your permits while the dealer "holds" them.

So IMO the VI is the less gun friendly than the WORST state (CA or NY). I'd consider these points long and hard if you must have your guns there.