How Safe Are the Virgin Islands especially St Thomas and St Croix

It's truly sad to read about the gun violence the past couple of weeks.  I just saw the latest article on "The Virgin Island Consortium" that there have been 5 deaths in just over a week.  I wonder if it's somehow linked to COVID-19 and the resulting stay at home advisory and spike in unemployment.

Posted by: @jaldeborgh

It's truly sad to read about the gun violence the past couple of weeks.  I just saw the latest article on "The Virgin Island Consortium" that there have been 5 deaths in just over a week.  I wonder if it's somehow linked to COVID-19 and the resulting stay at home advisory and spike in unemployment.

Increase in violence has already been linked to global warming. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200115093437.htm

So the conclusion of the article is bitterly cold winters = less crime?  Doesn't sound like science to me unless the crime rate in Canada is materially higher than Mexico.  Sounds like more like a political narrative, not to mention the source is one of the most left leaning Universities out there.  Plus, it shouldn't impact the USVI's as the last I checked there aren't currently bitterly cold winters in the Caribbean.

I have see articles that anticipate that cabin fever causes more domestic violence and I suspect the spike in unemployment is a factor in the increased gun related violence.  In any case it very sad, what ever the reason.

This thread started on March 5th and now has 53 posts. It seems to me it’s one of the most popular topics on this site. I cant say it’s surprising, human nature being what it is.

With all due respect to CruzanIron, but “Global warming linked to increase in violence.”  Really???

Considering current events, I feel far safer here than anywhere on the east or west coast of the continental US. STX has had a total of 14 individuals infected by Coronavirus. The majority of those have already recovered. We had 1 hospitalization, which has recovered and is now back home.

How safe are the Virgin Islands?

Posted by: @singlefin

This thread started on March 5th and now has 53 posts. It seems to me it’s one of the most popular topics on this site. I cant say it’s surprising, human nature being what it is.

With all due respect to CruzanIron, but “Global warming linked to increase in violence.”  Really???

Considering current events, I feel far safer here than anywhere on the east or west coast of the continental US. STX has had a total of 14 individuals infected by Coronavirus. The majority of those have already recovered. We had 1 hospitalization, which has recovered and is now back home.

How safe are the Virgin Islands?

 

 

LOL....I was only trying to point out how foolish it is to blame the increased gang activity on the virus. Which is as far fetched as blaming it on global warming. 

https://time.com/5819507/crime-drop-coronavirus/

Crime rates have plummeted all around the world...

Overall, Chicago’s crime declined 10% after the pandemic struck, a trend playing out globally as cities report stunning crime drops in the weeks since measures were put into place to slow the spread of the virus. Even among regions that have the highest levels of violence outside a war zone, fewer people are being killed and fewer robberies are taking place.

Here. Check out this article and decide from there. Anyone who tells you the crime is just drug and gang related is full of it. The police are inept and corrupt. Nepotism is there middle name.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virgin-islands-police-to-blame-for-unsolved-murder-of-nj-man/

Posted by: @jd_on_stt

Here. Check out this article and decide from there. Anyone who tells you the crime is just drug and gang related is full of it. The police are inept and corrupt. Nepotism is there middle name.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virgin-islands-police-to-blame-for-unsolved-murder-of-nj-man/

At least one perpetrator was caught, tried and convicted (though not of first degree murder). Yes still drugs and gangs I suspect were involved. 

https://stthomassource.com/content/2019/03/07/defendant-admits-role-in-fatal-2014-stabbing-on-stj-gets-15-years/

Posted by: @gators_mom

Posted by: @jd_on_stt

Here. Check out this article and decide from there. Anyone who tells you the crime is just drug and gang related is full of it. The police are inept and corrupt. Nepotism is there middle name.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virgin-islands-police-to-blame-for-unsolved-murder-of-nj-man/

At least one perpetrator was caught, tried and convicted (though not of first degree murder). Yes still drugs and gangs I suspect were involved. 

https://stthomassource.com/content/2019/03/07/defendant-admits-role-in-fatal-2014-stabbing-on-stj-gets-15-years/

Figured I'd chime in here...I don't know why, other than it's what I do.....investigate murders, that is. These stories are conflicting. In the one story, the police are "inept and discarded evidence." In the next story, they solved the 5 year old cold case that they allegedly botched. Be wary of what you read, what people report, and what is actually going on when it comes to police investigations. We often don't tell the public much, even if it makes us look bad. The case is what matters, not the public's opinion. There must have been some evidence collected and processed or they likely wouldn't have gotten a conviction. People don't plea to crimes where there is no evidence against them. Having said that, I think their clearance rate on homicides down there is like 30% to 40%??...or at least it was at some point. That's pretty awful. Especially with a small pool of offenders.         

@cruzaniron from a chicago news station, shootings are up 81 vs LY, 610 shot this year, doesn't look down to me

https://www.chicagotribune.com/data/ct-shooting-victims-map-charts-htmlstory.html

@gators_mom So James Malfetti was involved in drugs? Is that how you want to explain every crime on STT? So drugs and gangs is the reason for every crime according to you? This was not gang member on gang member or dealer on dealer. Maybe these hoodlums were stealing to get money for drugs but don't make it sound like everything is to blame for it. Didn't his parents suffer enough? Now you want to suggest it was drug related?

You all need to get a grip. You are all in denial. WAKE UP!

@jd_on_stt

Mr. Malfetti was killed by gangbangers from STT. He was an unfortunate victim of gang related violence. Did NOT say he had anything to do with drugs - but chances are his murderers did.

Ok, I get it.

Yea, this place really sucks.

The driver of every erratically driven vehicle carries a full-automatic weapon. There’s no asphalt in the USVI. Incredibly high taxes get funneled into the pockets of local politicians, who all live in 10k sqft oceanfront homes. My last monthly electric bill was $80,000. Our hospital is a MASH unit, on a good day. STX airport only has one incoming flight per day. To leave the island, you must take a ferry to STT, a biplane to Puerto Rico, then an eighteen hour, six connection flight to get to JFK. The coral reefs are dead. Schools of killer Lion fish and man eating sharks patrol every beach. Tan tan has killed and overrun all indigenous plant species. Mahogany trees and pelicans are gone. Don’t get me started on grocery prices, I paid $1200 for a pound of ground beef last week. It only rains in Fredricksted. The oil refinery spews crude everywhere. The landfill isn’t on fire? And I mean everyone, EVERYONE has a cocktail in hand, including your taxi driver, charter boat captain, aircraft pilot, and VI Moving Center poster.

What do you think?

Will that keep em away.  😉

@singlefin Yes it probably will. People are not as stupid as you think they are. You think that kind of sarcasm is some sort of reverse psychology. Exaggerate to the extreme to minimize what is really happening.

Hey JD,

How many Mimosas have you had this morning?

@gators_mom Ok so first you all say the crime in the VI is gang or drug related so it gives the impression that as long as you don't engage in those activities you'll be perfectly safe here. Is that about right? That is deception at it's finest.

The habits of the criminals is irrelevant. They don't commit crimes only on each other. When they need to support their habit or pledge a gang they go to where they profit from it.

It reminds me when I was selling my house in the states. I had layers of security like surveillance cameras, dead bolts and a charlie bar on the sliding door. The realtor made a comment to buyers one day. She stated: he must think he lives in a bad neighborhood or something. I replied: yeah because the criminals only rob the bad ones.

This some top quality BS you are all shoveling.

Happy 4/20!

From WebMD:

An in-depth investigation has concluded that people who smoke marijuana are much more likely to have paranoia than people who don't use the drug. The study also identifies psychological factors that can lead to feelings of paranoia in people exposed to the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, THC.

Posted by: @gators_mom

Happy 4/20!

From WebMD:

An in-depth investigation has concluded that people who smoke marijuana are much more likely to have paranoia than people who don't use the drug. The study also identifies psychological factors that can lead to feelings of paranoia in people exposed to the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, THC.

I had to explain to my wife the other day why the car in front of us came to a full stop at a green light... ?