Off the Wall, armed robbery last night

This from STXcrimewatch.

Tuesday night @ 8:45 Off The Wall was robbed by 3 black males with
assault rifles. They took the register money, cell phones, & a purse
from some patrons. They were driving a small silver Toyota/Suzuki
rental type car. The car left the scene going East.

We were there last night.

My husband & I were leaving OTW and noticed people running past our car while we were just getting in. We had no idea what was going on. Then I said to my husband I think they are being robbed. We were parked near the dumpster on the west side. So we drove past OTW and saw the gunmen and the patrons with there hands up. We went to the Waves to call 911.

While I was on the phone at the Waves with 911, the robbers drove by so my husband gave chase but they lost him. He could identify the car.

They were very abusive to the girls in the kitchen. They grabbed one of the girls and put a gun to her head. They wanted her to show them where the register was. She was forced out of the kitchen and to the bar area. They gave them the money from the register.

They got away with the money in the register, a purse, & cell phones.

The cops did come quickly.

We did hear that the cops found the purse on the side of the rd. by Canaan Ridge.

Everyone is okay but very shaken up.

I hope everyone will go visit Off The Wall this week. They need our support. Becky and Jacob were working the bar last night.

Thanks Margarita.

I heard a car speed by last night about that time but had no idea.:X

And to add to this there was the KILLING yesterday at the KMART in STT. They got the guy. 17 year old!

And now what do the people say that there is no more crime here than in the main land?

BULL!

billd

It's been relatively quiet until this.....

Maybe this will be enough to push through the "idea" of a north shore police station. I know there's a senator or two that have a hot nut for a north shore station. Maybe someday!

Noah

Truly distressing to read about this. We spend a lot of time on the North Shore generally and at Off the Wall specifically. We desperately need a regular police presence there--it's too remote and too easy of a target.

Bernie

Until citizens start fighting back and killing some of these A-holes, nothing will change.

Sometimes true change requires risk and, unfortunately, sacrifice. What is going on in STX and STT is nothing short of a war. The good vs. the thugs. And, for the past decade or more, the thugs have been winning because they go largely unimpeded.

I'll tell you one thing: if I'm ever in a position where I witness something like this and I'm able to do something about it, I won't hesitate. I will kill the thugs with impunity. Whether it be with a gun, my car, or my bare hands. And I won't feel the least bit bad about it, either.

The old mantra of "just give them what they want, it's not worth it to try and be a hero" is a load of crap. I'd rather die trying to do the right thing than live as a constant victim. Which, as I said, is what we've all been doing for a long, long time.

It's up to us, the people. The police are worthless. All they do is show up after the fact and fill out reports. Do you REALLY think a police station on the North Shore will make one bit of difference? I for one do not.

Well clearly there's a cultural shift that needs to happen for any progress to be made. Until it becomes unacceptable in the community and police force to protect/hide the guilty, it will be difficult to make any progress.

My wife tried to get something done over 2 years ago. She had hundreds of signatures on a petition that was then sent to the Governor iin mid 2008 to have a 24/7 police presence on North Shore. The petition was signed by owners of OTW, Bogies, Waves, Rowdy's, Lobster Reef Cafe, The Corner Store, and their patrons. That was when Carmen Wesselhoff (Senator at Large STJ) took up the cause in STT legislature.. Bottom line - a bill was passed in Senate that appropriated money to fund either a mobile police station and fix up the "old school house in Lavallee. Several meetings with heads of police, etc; took place in 2008.. The owner of Villa Dawn agreed to allow police to use his empty lot across from OTW to park the mobile police station, again this was all done mid to late 2008. When senator Sanis (sp?) got voted into office last year, he contacted my wife and said he would see that something would be done. Calls to Craig Barshinger (who replaced Wessellhoff) all went unanwered. Sanis never did a damn thing.

As of today, nothing has happened. Even though the police got there within a few minutes of the robbery, they were still "too late" to catch these no good hoodlums. Same excuse has been used over and over again by the VIPD on putting the mobile police station in the empty lot across from OTW. That excuse is - it's being kept at the police station in mid island (where cars are registered) because of mold in that police station. Also some resident (don't know who) objected to police using that empty lot because it had historical artifacts buried there and was of historical importance. So blame whomever you want for no 24/7 police presence on N. Shore -- I blame the VIPD and our Senators.

Jumbie -STX

OMG, billD, which Kmart? Tutu Park or the other one?

Islandlola

A police sub-station on the north shore, in and of itself, probably won't change much. There are 2 stations on the west end and they haven't exactly created a low crime area.

The folks that frequent/live on the north shore will probably talk the most about this one 'cause this one "hits close to home." On an island this size, doesn't every crime like this hit close to home?

If we attempt to have any meaningful discussion about the exceptionally high crime rates here, The Dead Horse Society will mobilize and seek to quash the conversation by telling us that talking about crime is just "beating a dead horse."

Then the folks that live with their heads planted firmly up their backsides will seek to minimize, rationalize, justify, deny, or flat out ignore the extremely high crime rates here by telling us that "crime is everywhere" and "no place is safe."

The next person to post on this board asking about crime will be greeted with the same old tired BS that if they don't do drugs and aren't out in sketchy areas at 2AM, they'll be fine. Pure unadulterated bunk!

Then we'll all go back to chatting about pedicures, how good/bad the last meal we had was, and how pretty the sunset was. This thread will quickly disappear into the archives until the next time someone is shot or looks down the barrel of a gun and then the cycle will renew itself. This thread was quickly headed for page 2 and the crime happened less than 48 hours ago.

It's been this way since I've been following this board and I see very little to indicate that it won't continue to be this way for as long as I follow this board.

Until citizens start fighting back and killing some of these A-holes, nothing will change.

Sometimes true change requires risk and, unfortunately, sacrifice. What is going on in STX and STT is nothing short of a war. The good vs. the thugs. And, for the past decade or more, the thugs have been winning because they go largely unimpeded.

I'll tell you one thing: if I'm ever in a position where I witness something like this and I'm able to do something about it, I won't hesitate. I will kill the thugs with impunity. Whether it be with a gun, my car, or my bare hands. And I won't feel the least bit bad about it, either.

The old mantra of "just give them what they want, it's not worth it to try and be a hero" is a load of crap. I'd rather die trying to do the right thing than live as a constant victim. Which, as I said, is what we've all been doing for a long, long time.

It's up to us, the people. The police are worthless. All they do is show up after the fact and fill out reports. Do you REALLY think a police station on the North Shore will make one bit of difference? I for one do not.

DUDE... do you really think you and your little pistol are equivalent to THUGS WITH MACHINE GUNS?

You'd end up getting a lot of people sprayed with bullets, and over what? Some money and cellphones?

Please don't bring your gun to OTW when I'm there.

DUDE... do you really think you and your little pistol are equivalent to THUGS WITH MACHINE GUNS?

You'd end up getting a lot of people sprayed with bullets, and over what? Some money and cellphones?

Please don't bring your gun to OTW when I'm there.

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is precisely how the problem gets out of hand to begin with.

Turning a blind eye to criminals while criminalizing responsible people through hyperbole and innuendo opens the floodgates for violent and cowardly acts such as this.

Well clearly there's a cultural shift that needs to happen for any progress to be made. Until it becomes unacceptable in the community and police force to protect/hide the guilty, it will be difficult to make any progress.

...not really a cultural shift needed...besides, that will never happen.

The businesses that are wide open to the elements (criminal and otherwise) need to enclose themselves and screen all customers before allowing entry.
Gas stations got tired of being robbed and started putting up bulletproof glass. Same thing needs to be done at OTW. Enclose the whole thing, and put a nice Nana glass wall at the seaward side to keep the view...the sociopaths are not going to come from the sea in a rowboat.

While you're at it, have an armed guard in the parking area to protect the arriving/departing guests. It is the duty of the guard, not the customers, to exchange gunfire with any sociopath.

Expensive solution, but ultimately effective, and more reliable than any pipe dream about substations, police response, cultural shifts, etc.
All it will take is one killing, and OTW is gone for good. An innocent life saved is worth whatever it costs to secure the establishment.

I don't think that the fact it is open air has much to do with it. Boogie's was robbed not to long ago. There was a robbery and murder at Pickled Greek last year. Both of these are enclosed.

As soon as a preponderance of local businesses "screen all customers before allowing entry" and have "armed guard in the parking area" I suspect there will be near total white flight from these islands -- which may be the intended effect of the violence.

a little conspiratorial, aren't you?

Thanks, Aussie, for breaking it down so clearly. The crime in the VI is the WORST thing about it. It is a HUGE problem.

Terry - It has nothing to do with conspiracy. The fact is that most whites here came from the states and would likely return to the states if everyday errands had to be performed as if under siege. There's a reason continentals chose to move to the USVI rather than say the Maldives; both are tropical island chains, but the latter is one of the world's most dangerous places to live. Should the USVI join that notorious list, people who have the means to leave will gather whatever assets they can and split. It appears that human life is of little value here, but it is in the USVI's best fiscal interests, both in terms of tourism and in terms of local wealth, to make this a safe place to visit and live.

DUDE... do you really think you and your little pistol are equivalent to THUGS WITH MACHINE GUNS?

You'd end up getting a lot of people sprayed with bullets, and over what? Some money and cellphones?

Please don't bring your gun to OTW when I'm there.

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is precisely how the problem gets out of hand to begin with.

Turning a blind eye to criminals while criminalizing responsible people through hyperbole and innuendo opens the floodgates for violent and cowardly acts such as this.

RKS....did you READ and LISTEN to what these guys had? =Assault Rifles=
Do you really think if you pull out your pistol they won't spray automatic fire across the restaurant?

The only thing worse than being held up, would be being caught in the middle of a gun battle between a dope fiend with an automatic weapon and a dope with a pistol.

The logical solution is surveillance cameras on the premises, and police in the area who can respond immediately.

Could we maybe begin a shift in thinking and start talking about the good things that happen instead of focusing on the bad?

MisBhaven,

OTW is one of the "good things happening" ....which is why we're talking about it. We want to keep it good.
Many of us here go there on a regular basis.... so it is personal.

In related news: In a July 1 legislative hearing in F'sted, the Police Chief said,
"Two police substations in the La Vallee and Cotton Valley areas of St. Croix are in the planning stages and are expected to cost roughly $400,000 for both, Francis said"

http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2010/07/01/despite-jump-murders-most-other-crime-down-police-say

Having a 2 yr long mold problem in Patrick Sweeney Police hdqtrs & having the mobile police station function as office hdqtrs there is beyond any logical reasoning. Meanwhile instead of fullfilling promises made several times by the Chief of Police, Senator Sanes & Donastorg to put the mobile station across from OTW this discussion occurred yesterday in the legislature. See below --

Patrick Sweeney Police Headquarters on St. Croix has been largely closed due to mold problems since May of 2008. The mold cannot be addressed until the structural integrity of the building is certified, Francis said. Tests and plans for the mold remediation have been ordered, he said. Sen. Sammuel Sanes asked if the cost of renovating Sweeney was worth the expense, or if a new building would be more cost effective. "They are doing a structural assessment to make that determination," Francis said.
Two police substations in the La Vallee and Cotton Valley areas of St. Croix are in the planning stages and are expected to cost roughly $400,000 for both, Francis said. No votes were taken at the information-gathering hearing. Present were Sens. Craig Barshinger, Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Sammuel Sanes, Patrick Sprauve and Michael Thurland.

Jumbie -STX

According to that Source article they are requesting $62 million dollars for policing here in the territory in FY 2011 (down from FY 2010). That is a shocking number considering the crime rate. It's not for lack of resources that we have this crime!

Sean