Is STX safe for young women?

most of the crime is gang related. does not make it better. there are robberies at restaurants, sometimes with customers in the building. the stabbing at jump up the other night is a rare occurrence at that event. i feel safe when i go out, much more so than my husband. crime itself is really no different here than anywhere but we are a small island and it feels like more though our murder rate has at time been the highest per capita of any us soil.

i think your bigger concern should be the job situation.

Thanks for the response!

That's what my friend said to me. So your husband doesn't feel safe? Is this because of aggressive local males? I'm used to seedy areas, I live in a fairly large city (Seattle) off of Aurora. If anyone here has live in Seattle, they probably know what Aurora is.

I'm really a jack of all trades, especially in the service industry. I plan on coming with enough money to survive without a job for several months. But really... I'll do anything from washing dishes to strategic account coordination for a multimedia company (I doubt they have that there, but you get my point). But if you have any advice that would help me find work then I'm all ears.

lets just say that he is over protective. we only go to certain places at night to eat. generally not on the boardwalk and not the north shore. robberies have been too many for him to feel comfortable. i lived outside of dc , i didnt even lock my doors most of the time. i always felt safe there.

St. Croix is no different from any other place in the world. I don't believe that you should feel any less safe living on St. Croix, and this is coming from the person who's on this forum talking about crime statistics.

Like the previous poster mentioned incidents get magnified because it's a small community.

here's something that the VIPD has put out specifically to make people like you feel better. I have my issues with the VIPD.....but I'll give it a break for now. http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/v-i-experiences-drop-in-most-major-crimes-1.1173785#axzz1Rq0CaJpc

Like the previous poster mentioned incidents get magnified because it's a small community.

I don't live there but I would have to agree with that statement. There are most likely plenty of murders that go undocumented in large cities.

I am moving from Detroit to STT, if STT is worse than Detroit, I will be SHOCKED.

Hey all,

...Am I going to have to watch my back at every turn? Much love,

Mike

Always a good idea to watch your back, regardless. Better still, get friends that will watch your back reciprocally. It is NOT "just like anywhere else" and if you put yourself in situations stupidly, you WILL be much the wiser, shortly. Fact. Just sorta ease your way gingerly out of your comfort zone, not just blazing out, whistlin' in the dark, hoping it goes good. It won't. Common sense first, Sixth sense second. Bring a Buddy, third.

OTS - Thanks for the valuable info. May I ask where you have lived to compare it to?

Also, for anyone, I know that every area is different, but how "dangerous" is the living situation? Does crime happen on your front door? Or worse in your home? I plan on renting, and I know every building is different. Any advice?

Thank you.

Most of the last 35 years I have lived in So California. My actual home is in a fairly quiet part of Riverside, pop 300k+.with a lot of poverty, gangs, grafitti, wide ethnic blend, sorta skewed to Hispanics, mostly of Mexican descent, and a large percentage of those are first or second generation in this country.

I worked many years as a home health nurse, doing wound care, supervisory visits and extended care (8-12 hour shifts) caring for quadraplegics. Some of them you stay with for years, and are inside the homes forty hours a week, and havng a quad in the family is usually financially and socially devastating to the families, from all socioeconomic levels. I've worked at homes where SWAT busted up drug rings, nurses were mugged, by the patient or friends/family of the patient, your stuff gets stolen, your car gets relieved of whatever isn't bolted down, your gas tank drained, hubcaps missing. Frustrating, but over time you learn where to park, what to drive, what to leave home, and to ask someone to walk you to your car if it is far away.

Not by any means saying all of So Cal is crime ridden and dangerous, but there are areas nearby here, Casa Blanca for example, where you just don't go for fun at night. If you have to do a nursing visit there, you do NOT wear scrubs, or carry anything in your hand, hide your stethoscope, leave your purse at home, just keep your cell phone, cash/ ATM and DL in your pocket. You could be shot so they could check to see if you have any sellable meds on you. Yes, it is that bad. And no, they don't report it in the paper.

Riverside used to be ranked the highest per capita income city in the US around a hundred years ago. The original navel orange tree is still here, thriving, and the movie theater that first showed Gone With The Wind was recently refurbished in an urban renewal project. The Mission Inn is a great tourist draw, and I think we still hold the guiness world record for the longest continuous rose bush hedge along Victoria Avenue. Most of the citizens are hard working, strong families, but it just takes a handful of the bad element to tip the sense of well being for 300k people.

OTS - Thank you for giving me a point of reference from where you are coming from. I've lived in So Cal as well, North Hollywood, Long Beach, Huntington.

My ultimate goal is to start up a small business to sustain myself out there. I'm somewhat of an entrepreneur. I think this is possible, although I'm not banking on the idea... It's going to take a lot of hard work.

Anyway... I do, very much appreciate all the information. I hope that when I arrive I am able to meet some nice, informative and inviting people such as yourselves.

Ditto. I'm still in Riverside, but starting to wind things up. Hope to move there in a few months. I am also entrepreneurial and can skin a buck off a nickle, LOL. No joke. When I get there, if you are there, we will "do lunch" (for old times sake, yeaaahhhhh So CAL!!! ) LOL

ST Croix is not Southern Cal. You park your car, go to the beach,"Bam" windows are broken valuables are stolen. It happens everyday. You have to watch your back day and night. You go to a restaurant and find yourself face down on the floor giving up your wallet. To answer your question, STX is not safe for a young and old women. PS. I live on the island and I'm sick of the crime, enough is enough.:-X

I read all about the crime on STX and STT and I think, can it be any worse than Philadelphia? It's crazy up here people.

I read all about the crime on STX and STT and I think, can it be any worse than Philadelphia? It's crazy up here people.

I said the same thing about Detroit.....I could understand maybe being just as bad, but not even Hollywood could phathom "worse" than Detroit.

ST Croix is not Southern Cal. You park your car, go to the beach,"Bam" windows are broken valuables are stolen. It happens everyday. You have to watch your back day and night. You go to a restaurant and find yourself face down on the floor giving up your wallet. To answer your question, STX is not safe for a young and old women. PS. I live on the island and I'm sick of the crime, enough is enough.:-X

1. It's not smart to leave any valuables in your car while at the beach. Would you go to the mall in the states and leave valuables on public display? If you do, you're asking to get rob whether you're in St. Croix or Florida. It's smarter to just leave your car open, when going to the beach on St. Croix.

2. Have you ever personally "find yourself face down on the floor giving up your wallet"? And if so how often has something like that happened to the same person?

I've heard a lot WORST about Southern Cal, than anything happening in St. Croix. So get a grip and stop trying to be overly dramatic.

The difference is when you move you hope it is to a better place not worse and you certainly are not going to go on a vacation to the bad section of Detroit. Comparing to bad areas makes no sense, why strive to be just not the worst? The comparing should be against top places to live and that is what we should aim for, but in this case the USVI is failing badly. Also this kind of crime does not happen everywhere so stop saying it does like that makes it better, I can leave valuables in my car with the keys in it and nothing happens stateside, I would never do that on STX but was willing to put up with that with hopes things would get better. Not so sure things are getting better though. A little more public outrage might be a good thing.

The difference is when you move you hope it is to a better place not worse and you certainly are not going to go on a vacation to the bad section of Detroit. Comparing to bad areas makes no sense, why strive to be just not the worst? The comparing should be against top places to live and that is what we should aim for, but in this case the USVI is failing badly. Also this kind of crime does not happen everywhere so stop saying it does like that makes it better, I can leave valuables in my car with the keys in it and nothing happens stateside, I would never do that on STX but was willing to put up with that with hopes things would get better. Not so sure things are getting better though. A little more public outrage might be a good thing.

ok, I'll play along.....compare St. Croix to some of the vacation spots like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, and Antigua just to name a few......

***and that's total NONSENSE about "I can leave valuables in my car with the keys in it and nothing happens stateside"...don't make sound like you can do that anywhere stateside, that's ridiculous

And Lizard you have no point in regards to my first post on this board.

It's smarter to just leave your car open, when going to the beach on St. Croix.

Sorry, but I live in a major metropolitan area of the US that has plenty of crime, and I never leave my car unlocked and without the alarm on.

So. California and Philly are allot different than St.Croix. Different cultures and different attitudes. There are many great things that can be said about each location but there are also many negatives associated with each place. Whenever I hear of Riverside, I always remember driving down a street (in the early 90's) and seeing a man with a sign soliciting funds for the local KKK. I had to drive back around to make sure I saw what I thought I had seen. Being from the NY area I had never seen this type of behavior. I know Long Beach is not considered a garden spot of So Cal but I love running in the morning along the boardwalk at the Beach from the Queen Mary to the fishing pier and back. Philly will always have a warm place in my heart having lived and worked in the city in the 80's. I always though Center City (downtown Philly) was underrated, though forget getting a parking space. As far as St. Croix, sometimes the beauty and the laid back attitude of the place hides the fact that there is a serious crime problem on the island. It seems people hear are more concern with the local politics than the local crime situation. I think St. Croix is a great place but you must come here with an open mind and you can't come with the attitude that this is not the way things are done at home. This is a different culture and as soon as you accept that the sooner you will feel at home. Back to your original question is it safe, the best answer I think is follow your gut instincts, if you feel the least bit uncomfortable leave the situation.

Back to your original question is it safe, the best answer I think is follow your gut instincts, if you feel the least bit uncomfortable leave the situation.

Well put, thank you. (tu)

PS... Did some posts get deleted? When I looked at this thread last night I remember seeing a lot more arguing. :@)

They are not the same, but honestly, I think the percentage of people who normally act normal, but when presented with temptation switch temporarily to opportunisting/predatory criminal behavior is MUCH higher in the VI than stateside. If every single sticky fingers could get busted every single time, in a months time (including gov't corruption) and their faces and crimes catalogued onlne at some site, we would all be flabbergasted by who is doing what. Just my .02 worth.

It's not nonsense for the people of the community of St Croix to expect the same quality of life that is available in other areas of the US.

Here's the thing. Two million people who come and go, no community ties, money to burn, naive to a fault, many of them. To some people, just begging to get ripped, because they won't hang around long enough to "get justice" whatever that means, and the local police who have their hands full already may not have the incentive to solve petty crimes for non-residents we will never see again. Not saying it's right, but it's pretty true. With limited resources, our police want to focus on keeping our local community safe and functioning, justice for people who live here, not some presumed wealthy person who stopped for two nights and we never see again, and presumed to have caused their own problems due to lack of vigilance and looking out for their belongings.