I lurk here but couldn't take it anymore.

Ummmm... you came to the CARIBBEAN and were surprised that there was drug dealing going on in the open?

What's next, you going to China and being shocked that they use chopsticks?

Get a grip on reality and come outside your cushioned mental box. Places have real live problems, and socioeconomically disenfranchised people do what they have to do to survive. Simply demanding that people "clean up the place" is a pipe dream.

Go see the next big Batman movie that opens in Colorado if you want to feel so safe, then.

Lurk here.. Hhmmm... I would have taken the information, kept it to myself, and not post a thing.. There are plenty of places in the states where this same thing goes on.. I apologize for being kind of mean but, there is no need to point the obvious...Just as it is obvious that a solution for that problem is easier said than done..

If you saw what was going on and were so concerned about it why did you not report it?

If you saw what was going on and were so concerned about it why did you not report it?

That's really what tourists want to do: report crimes. Get real.

Typical answers on this forum. Me report it to the STT police? How funny is that when I read of so much corruption on the Island. Why should I report it? The police knows that it's going on.

Ummmm... you came to the CARIBBEAN and were surprised that there was drug dealing going on in the open?

What's next, you going to China and being shocked that they use chopsticks?

Get a grip on reality and come outside your cushioned mental box. Places have real live problems, and socioeconomically disenfranchised people do what they have to do to survive. Simply demanding that people "clean up the place" is a pipe dream.

Go see the next big Batman movie that opens in Colorado if you want to feel so safe, then.

How rude in general. Wake up.

DL...by the way, it wasn't pot, which I have no problem with, it was in very small plastic Ziplock bags. That's a whole different ball game. I'm not stupid

No one that lives in STT has seen any of the decline on the EastEnd? To me, I've see it. My opinion after many visits.

I'm done.

C'mon really? Drugs are everywhere around the world. You sound pretty naive or maybe you just haven't traveled much. Get a grip!

I'm originaly from small town Wisconsin and the same drug problem exists there.

That was probably pot, Connie. They do sell "twenty pops" in the same small bags that they sell cocaine in, too.

I am shocked by the rude response from several posters on this board to Connie. Maybe I missed something, but she only said that she was upset when she witnessed blatant illegal drug transactions. I might be upset too. Are you?

I don't get out much at night when most of the drug trade flourishes, so the few obvious drug exchanges I see don't surprise or upset me too much. In past years I spent a lot of time in Jamaica where prevasive drug trade was the normal thing.

It seems to be getting that bad here now.

Connie asks a good question. "What are you all doing about it?"

I am surprised anyone would say what they saw and mention it on this board. This person comes to the island, spends money, and is disappointed by what she sees. The people on this board should respect this and not attack, chastise, or say rude things to this individual. We as people who care what happens...and where the islands are headed should listen....and take these things into consideration when we do whatever we can do to improve the situation. Certainly putting this individual down does not make these things go away or for that matter any better. Maybe, the people in the government who can do things to improve the situation, will read these kind of statements and move things forward that will improve things on the islands. I personally thank you for coming forward and talking briefly about your experience....

DL: Someone comes here to voice their concern about the status of our islands, and you label their comments about cleaning up the place as a 'pipe/dream'? That is exactly the same level of thinking which creates this problem in the first place.

Well, marijuana just went legal in the state of Washington. The Virgin Islands is currently still in a testing phase 😉

ZOMG you saw a drug deal? Did you blow a rape whistle?

This is exactly why places should take a hard look at labeling and marketing themselves as 'tourist destinations'.

A place should strive to maintain its culture, and be safe and comfortable for people who want to make it their home.

That means responsible government (which will only come with more responsible citizens).
Responsible government will provide basic services such as good roads, schools, hospitals, and general infrastructure. It will provide social services that concentrate on producing good citizens...parental counseling being a top priority.

Fair or not, a place's character can be determined from the character of its young men. If the young men of a society are not corralled at an early age and taught how to be men, you will have situations like we have here currently. We live in a society that expects unbridled individual freedom, but it takes responsible people to exercise that freedom in a manner that is beneficial to all.

The problems we have here originate in the home. Parents are leaving boys to be raised by their peers. Young boys should be under severe parental restrictions until such time as they earn the right to be called men. Parents need to be taught how to maintain strict control of their young men. Failing to do so results in an uncivilized society. Boys need to be raised in an environment where a strong male figure, ie FATHER, is present. If you tell a young woman not to have babies for a man she is not married to, and who has no knowledge of how to raise a boy in today's society, you get cursed and the individual unbridled freedoms issue come up. If a boy does not grow up respecting his first authority figure, DAD, where is he going to learn respect for any authority? Societies have for thousands of years recognized that you need to corral boys. There used to be strict 'rites of passage' before you could transition to manhood...that's all gone.

The root of our crime problem lies in the fact that young boys arenot being raised in disciplined environments where a strong FATHER (or a 'father figure') in cooperation with a strong MOTHER instills discipline and respect for authority and other people into the young man BEFORE he reaches the age of eight. In the case of a single-parent situation, massive intervention is needed to ensure that the boy gets the upbringing he needs. This intervention may require the institution of additional social services. For example, if a single parent has to go to work, the child should not be left to fend for himself...he should be ALWAYS under the supervision of a responsible adult. I repeat, failure to corral boys results in visible drug dealing on the streets, murders, burglaries, disrespect of authority, and a general atmosphere of discomfort because you never know what they are going to do next. Nobody should act surprised when these things happen if the society is encouraging the behavior by failing to be responsible for its young men.

If a place is made safe and comfortable for the people who live there, and maintains its culture, visitors will naturally come without all the hyped-up marketing about tourist destination which inevitably leads to disappointment on the part of the visitors when they realize that they have come to a hell-hole.

...gets off soap box, waits for flames.:-(

No flame, however, I disagree that the focus should only be on boys. What about the girls? How many girls were in that knife fight on the boardwalk? It's not just boys that commit crimes here. Both boys & girls need to be taught & raised right.

In addition, I know many people that have been raised in a single family home and turned out fantastic. It's the structure of the home, not the quantity of parents that make a difference. Wasn't one of the men shot in the recent home invasion brought up in a two parent home? I am not demeaning the need for both Mother's & Father's - The lack of either doesn't automatically mean a deficient upbringing, just as the presence of both does not mean a quality upbringing.

I enjoy lurking here and watching people bitch, be victims, and give crusty know it all answers. For me as a frequent visitor, I obtain information here to lower my odds of being a victim of a crime while visiting. It gives me valuable insight into the culture, since I don’t live in the VI full time. I can discern patterns and behaviors that I can avoid. No, I can’t stop the crime but I can learn how to avoid the crime victim status. If you come to Charlotte I can tell you places and circumstances to avoid or you will like be a victim of crime. My eyes are wide open for crime everywhere.

ZOMG you saw a drug deal? Did you blow a rape whistle?

Seriously, these are the kind of remarks that are out of control on this forum.

Disgusting remark.

By ignoring crime and considering it someone elses responsibility to report illegal activity, you condone that activity.

Wake up, people.
Everyone constantly complains about crime but when you have an opportunity to, at the very least, report it, you walk away, instead
and do NOTHING?

You then are part of the problem and should just shut up about it if you are not willing to be part of the solution.

If pot were legal, we wouldn't have nearly as much crime.

gparrot, you said some good things there.

Connie, you brought up this incident several months ago (I believe on another forum) and I recall that even though you've visited STT many times, you're very rarely out later on at night either in Red Hook or anywhere else so you just haven't seen this petty dealing before. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you mentioned that this was in fact the first time you'd been in Red Hook at a late hour. I disagree with your estimation of "decline on the East end". Even as recently as five or so years ago there were quite regular incidents of criminal activity there - and I'm referring to "real" crime, not somebody selling dime bags of pot - and these have significantly and steadily decreased as to be pretty rare.

I'm sorry this so obviously upset you but hope you can put it in perspective and not let it prevent you from returning to the islands.

You know how many taxi drivers are asked by visitors where to buy drugs? Plenty. Lots of them hang out late night in Red Hook and look for the same.