pickled greek robbery

http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2009/08/05/peter-des-jardins-gunned-down-st-croix-restaurant

He was one of the first people on the island that I met and talked to. terrible terrible thing to happen....

Why not send this thread, and all other threads to NY city times, all major news media,send it to Washington. Print all newspaper articles on all the homicides,murders, unsolved or not. Maybe that would draw some attention. The only thing is, it would have a major impact on tourism. If only there was a way of drawing attention to the crime rate, without drawing the wrong attention to tourist.

Such a senseless crime, just awful!

We are truly saddened by this news. Peter was a great guy. I loved his original songs - they made me laugh and I'd sing them in my head for days. We will miss him dearly.

-Deanne and Marty

The national attention that the murder of Jamie Cochayne didn't change much here. The attention from Fountain Valley didn't change anything.

some one help me gather all the links to crime over the past 2 years, the newspaper links as well...all the information we can gather...and i will put it all in a word document, also any letters (NOT saying lets kill people) from any of you and any letters or a form of petition that you can get ones to sign...locals as well...i will put them in the document and send them all to the proper places, starting with the white house. it will affect tourism...for a bit...who cares...this problem needs a solution that the local government cannot seem to get a grip on...make everyone as safe as able and the tourists will come.
IF tv and film crews can film someone buying a frikkin condo, they can come do a mini documentary on the crime...interviewing EVERYONE, not just a select few. how bout we tell that lady that is looking for a condo on film she better not buy there.
it is a problem....
AND IT NEEDS TENDING TOO.

Interesting how who gets killed gets folks riled up. If you want the Feds involved, here's the contact into:

http://www.doi.gov/contact.html

this problem needs a solution that the local government cannot seem to get a grip on

I agree, but I don't think a solution will be credible or viable unless it comes from within the USVI. Tourists can express their disgust by spending their vacation money elsewhere. Locals will probably have to wait for violence to affect tourism -- either directly in some horrific incident, or indirectly by a large sustained drop in tourism spending in the UV.

Nothing here will change until large numbers of registered voters want change. Right now, too many locals are benefiting from the status quo in some small way, so they continue to reelect the same old sorry good-for-nothings to protect their miserable little benefit, and don't even comprehend that the cost of their benefit comes at the expense of public safety. Parents don't understand that their small, secret, abuse of position wrongdoing for personal benefit is related to young people's violent crime. Adults don't appreciate that kids reared in households with even small dishonesties learn that dishonesty isn't all that bad, and kids conclude if a little is good then a lot must be better, and if "everyone" is doing it then it must be okay. When dishonesty is publicly exposed, penalties are ludicrously light, if the dishonest are punished at all. It comes as no surprise that kids reared in a society where dishonesty is the norm become dishonest adults, so the cycle continues.

I have lived in a few countries, and one of the oddest things about the VI is that its churches are jam packed on Sundays with people who swear they're fearful of God, yet who convince themselves on Mondays that God gave them opportunities for dishonest benefit because He wants them to enjoy those benefits. Letters to the federal government are fine, but the public safety change being sought will have to overcome local entitlement attitudes that seem overwhelming to me.

Thanks Trade. I sent a message of concern.

while i've never been to the greek,i do plan on going some time this week if he's open to show peter and his staff some support,without conversation about what happened,just sit there with my book and eat,i think everyone else should do the same,this has to incredibly traumatic for them

My thoughts and prayers are with Peter's many friends and family. He was one of those genuinely nice people. He will be missed. It is passed time for something to be done about the crime on St. Croix...

I lived in STX back in 1981 and the crime was the same as it is today. As a single teacher girl living on the island I was sure "something" would happen. Many of my friends had 'something" happen. I really wanted to go back to STX for my retirement from teaching but I am scared to do so. I have been teaching school for 22 years in Daytona Beach FL area and it is really not a great area to live. Very rewarding teaching though tough. Florida has stopped these girls from getting public assistance unless they NAME THE FATHER. No father's name, no benefits. They pick up these guys all the time for non payment of support, so they HAVE TO WORK. I could not understand how young "able bodied" men in the VI were even allowed to live in the projects on the tax payer dollar...that amazed me. Now I hear the rumors about all the guns in the projects....maybe they should no be allowed to live there. I really believe that living on public assistance is the problem for many of these crimes. In FL you get 2 years and that is IT!!! I know a dad that has like 9 kids and he is in jail all the time. We (his kids teachers) think it is a good thing cause he will just make more babies he cannot afford anyway! Better off in jail than causing crimes or making babies cause he can;t support 9 kids anyway!!
I say give the girls "on public assistance" the opportunity ( not force them but offer) a 100 dollar bill to get the birth control shot every 6 months. When you have another kid on public assistance you get less money because that is what happens in real life. No one gave me a raise when I had my second child! I had to live on less money or get another job! There is a good book by Judge Judy Schindlin (spell?) and she says that in all her years in family court 90 % of the crime and problems were people on some type of public assistance/welfare. i
making babies you can not afford is NOT GOOD............I know because I see my old students (the ones that grew up with public assistance) on the jail web site...same crap over and over...I was amazed at the amount of people getting public assistance. No limit in the VI?

I think the $100 for getting the birth control shot is the best long term solution I've heard yet!

that's an external solution for a problem that starts from within.

these girls did not come from a vacuum, nor did the men who impregnated them. i don't need to fill this post with all the social issues that went into creating this. if i'm not doing something to help, i am a part of what it is.

and, just like the "war on drugs", it will never be truly effective.

i also have a moral objection to this type of thing.

What about the "moral" of having children out of wedlock?
Or having MANY children out of wedlock?

i agree with TRW i think a time this weekend should be decided and all arrive at dark with candles lite for PETER and PETER.

Lets come up with a time maybe this saturday would work and spread the word for all to arrive to show support and a song or two.

Lets not wait.

And the heck with tourism. lets also get the word out to the national media that our island is being overrun by thugs. and we need help NOW from national guard etc. our local police have their hands tied when they are probably related to the criminals.

OK someone on here decide on when we should do the candle lite memorial. lets not wait for family to decide,......lets do it for us and them. what do you think???????

There will be a benefit at Mahi's at Chenay Bay this Saturday at 7pm.

thats good nforbes but what about a vigial outside pickles greek?

My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Peter Des Jardin. My heart goes out to them.

Sadly, this sort of thing, while horrifying, is not new. Last week it was a patron at Gertrude's restaurant who was murdered.

I must comment on the off island policing suggestion above - it is a great suggestion but we will never have off island policing here. That idea has been floated many times in the past years as a potential solution to the problem of the police having to police their friends and family in such a small community. While probably an effective measure, it will always be shot down on the grounds that it would not be appropriate to have outsiders try to police our community because they don't understand or respect our island culture and people.

I truly believe that the only way for things to get better would be for us to vote in some representatives who will actually work to better our community instead of fostering the same old corruption that we have had for so long as part of our "culture". I'm sorry to say that I have lost all hope of that ever happening. Please see the links below for some of the reasons why I don't believe we will ever have substantial change.

http://www.demmansay.com/
http://cruciansinfocus.com/

While I would hate to impact tourism in a negative way, it might be worthwhile putting these types of link on say Trip Adviser or other major sites. The power of the internet and blogging can be huge.

My only hope is that when school is back in session this sort of tragedy will decline - at least until next summer. Remember the north shore string of restaurant robberies a few summers ago - then it was la grande princess restaurants? Remember Lobster Reef's owner getting beaten within an inch of his life? Always seems to be in the summer when school is out.

Again, my condolences to the family and friends of Peter.

Sincerely,

Stxfoodie

do you really think these punks who did this could possibly go to school??? and imagine them as even fathers. scary thought.
i love this island....like i said lived here almost 20 years but i am really getting fed up. enough to think about leaving. the price gouging, and the crime is enough to drive people away. I know alot of people who have felt this way and left. It could have been anyone one of us sitting in a public place and someone comes in and opens fire. Of course it happens in states but it seems it is usually a suicide mission as well.

I probably won't leave and the crime and prices will remain the same. just another day in paradise.

I don't live on stx nor is that the island I visit.

I think DixieChick has a good idea and that is showing community solidarity. Why not do a candle light at the restaurant. Attend the memorial. Enlist people of color who are also concerned who have been victims. Will it help? Who knows but there should be a time to honor this man and at the same time protest his murder and show community solidarity. Happens stateside all the time.

Here in Los Angeles about 10 years ago crime was getting a bit crazy. Law enforcement and the city came down like a hammer on gangs, one of the big problems. Homicides are now down about 36 pct. Would it work in the VI's? Unfortunately, the police culture just isn't the same as it is stateside.

Promoguy -

I don't want to be comletely negative, however, we have more non profit groups, crime watch groups, community activists and advocates here than you can shake a stick at. We have plenty of marches and walks and candlelight vigils which are well attended by a cross section of all members of our community that is inclusive of all ethnic backrounds on the island. Unfortunately, I fear that these marches only give the people participating the feeling that they are doing something about the situation so that they don't feel powerless to do anything about it. I don't believe they have any impact on crime. As you point out law enforcement is the key. Unfortunately, it will take the voters to elect a regime which does not tolerate corruption, crime, etc etc. Sadly, I don't believe we have evolved to the point culturally where we are ready to make that leap nor do i see it happenning in the foreseeable future.

Sincerely,

Stxfoodie

I was just throwing that out. But honestly, you're right

hey maybe rudy guilianni (sp) is available. he cleaned up new york didnt he?
need support at pickled greek and then move on to the gov't house and from there the police station. and yes get all backwards of people involved. cause we could be next.