pickled greek robbery

And one more thing. No tourists means lots of jobs will be cut. Job cuts will mean more desperate people looking to make a fast buck.

caribemi,
Peter's life didn't turn into a debate on crime. Peter's Life ended because of crime. The "Outrage" felt by most might make a difference when everyone says enough is enough and takes appropriate action or actions.

The debate is what is appropriate action. Worldwide media was there after Fountain Valley. Nationwide media was around after the Jamie Cockayne murder. The politicos are still getting their fat checks. Nothing changed. Don't shoot yourselves in the foot.

I don't have a dog in this fight but it will take YEARS to get over another media campaign, if ever. It's almost 40 years since Fountain Valley & that's still lingering. This story will play for 5 minutes until Octomom gets knocked up again or Brittney Spears falls off the wagon. We'll all be in our graves before this story dies & it won't do any good. It didn't before & it won't now.

Trade,
As long as you live on the islands you do have a dog in this race. The Safety of all should be the number one concern not only for the Powers on the islands but on the big island (DC) as well. To continue as it has is not conducive to a sense of well being for anyone that includes Tourism, Residents, Business. Since a lot of sockpuppets want to give money away for Birth control, how about spending that money on more Police Protection with better pay and benefits. If they (the bad guys) break the law you put them in jail. If the Jails are over crowed pitch a tent and put them in there (great weather for forced camping). Zero Tolerance for any crime must be the mantra for change.

I don't disagree with you but ruining tourism isn't going to help & will definitely hurt the honest, law-abiding people plus create even more crime in the long run. I still say the Feds are the way to go. The Department of the Interior oversees the Territories.

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

trade i truly mean no disrespect...
that is a fatalist way of thinking.
it is an example of ones GIVING UP.
and NO ONE should EVER GIVE UP.

on another note, and directed in a general way...not to trade...quit blaming the projects.
quit blaming the herb...it is CRACK that is the culprit...among other things.
there are no jobs there anyway...
i have seen threads in the recent past that said the impact of the cruise ships is not noticeable.
other than tourism, and a few restaurant jobs...where are the jobs you wish ones to get?
there is no industry left, and the industry that there is, is handed out for the most part, to off island contractors.
the only new industry i have seen a glimpse of...is the new distillery.
are they hiring young local men?
ones can cast blame everywhere but in the back yard.
crime in any way, shape or form is wrong.
get at the root of the crime.
in most cases, there is SOMEONE or SEVERAL PEOPLE on the island allowing the illegal guns in.
there is someone or several people turning their head when the drugs come on island.
get to the ROOT...and get rid of it.
you see, the poor and disenfranchised are the ones who get the bulk of the blame, when it is usually someone of prominence that buys, allows the drugs in (THIS IS IN ANY CITY IN THE WORLD, not just usvi) and distributes them to a buyer...the buyer (usually in a position of prominence as well), then sells to the dealer, who in turn distributes them to a seller...the sellers are at the bottom of the ladder...usually ones who are at a neighborhood level...these sellers become pawns of everyone in the chain, as they are the ones who get caught....and fill up the jails...so the cycle is neverending as the ones that are the big dawgs never get caught...kind of like the government.
so yes...the guns and drugs are centralized in places like the projects...but the projects are not where the drugs originate from....in any city, it is usually the big dawg on the hill in the fancy house, driving the ooh la la car that is the originator.
or it could be the person one least suspects...the long time resident of a city that has a not new house that drives the old jeep or station wagon...
THAT is where ones need to focus...on entry points and entry levels.

again, demands of birth control and sterilization and so are not the problem...in the town i live in, caucasions and hispanics are the bulk of unwed pregnancies and most do not live in projects, but in houses, and that is in general, across the board...new mandates here require that if one applies for a check or public housing...they have to initially take a drug test and are often randomly tested after that. it does not solve the drug problem, but it somewhat reduces it...a tiny bit.

find out how drugs and guns are brought in...plane or boat...and who is letting them in...and one has a starting point...it takes diligence and courage...but it can be done...myself, i have my suspicions but that is not relevant...just makes me wonder how all these politricksters live the life of luxury while the walls come tumbling down....

go sunday and join that chain...lock arms...let no one turn you away...we have the right to protest...we have the right to demand...again...it TAKES ACTIVISM AND COURAGE...to effect change one must truly want change and be willing to be a part of that change.

i have a hunch that once ones know about the chain, you will see people you never expected, from all walks of life, come out of the woodwork and join in...it takes a village...in all things.

blessings and guidance and meditations for courage are showered upon all of you...i wish i could be there to join. it does not MATTER that i do not live there anymore...i think of you all every day and weep when you weep...because it is the place of my HEART.

It's NOT giving up. Twice I've posted the DOI info. They're what can clean this mess up. Not Anderson Cooper, for God's sake.

HOw many people are employed by STX hotels?

get together and storm government house...ones have a right to make demands...the government is accountable to the citizens...general buddhoe made a difference...he effected change...with diligence...and slaves were freed.

Irijah,
I have to smile, General Buddhoe didn't have to deal with the current Politicos.

I have to agree with caribemj. I found this forum because I was looking for both information and solace and I am devastated at the loss of my brother. I know that he would not want to be the trigger for some of the things people are advocating here. He was a prime example of thinking globally and acting locally. I think that you would agree that he tried to make his little part of the world a better place through his music, commentary and fellowship. I also know from experience that all real change comes from within and cannot be imposed externally. In this case, except under extraordinary circumstances, the Feds will not step in except at the request of the governor. Exposing the situation to the stateside media is likely to scare away tourists, but not likely to result in any real change. Sometimes all it takes is a few good men/women to stand up for what it right.

Very few individuals are in a position to change the world, but everyone is in a position to change a little part of it. Local government is likely to listen to a coalition of concerned citizens, local businesses, church leaders, taxpayers and voters. Elected officials are ultimately answerable to the voters. A start could be a petition to know what local government is doing to solve my brother's murder (and the other unsolved murders). Would you be willing to sign such a petition? All letters to government require an answer, especially when accompanied by hundreds of signatures and maybe a local newspaper article. E-mails may be satisfying to send, but they don't do very much as they are informal communication and easily left unanswered.

Reach out to other communities on the island, take the high moral ground. There are very few people who do not ultimately just want a safe place to raise their family. If crime is spreading outside the public housing, just imagine what it is like inside. Enlist support from inside that community. Support programs that try to address the real problems- ignorance, poverty and the loss of hope for anything better. Community policing is part of the solution set, the national guard is probably not. The local police are generally more responsive to community support for what they are doing right, than condemnation for handing out traffic tickets. Lets face it, very few people ever became policemen to hand out traffic tickets.

We are all saddened and frustrated by Peter's loss. If that frustration can be turned to action- for the good, then something worthwhile could come from this tragedy.

Steve Des Jardins
San Diego

Thank you Steve. A voice of reason in all this insanity. I did not know your brother but my daughter did. I am so sorry for your loss. Bless you for taking the time to post.

Tammy

The only sense made here is "get the media involved". As others have mentioned before, the DOT and others have promoted the heck out of the VI, especially STX. What has that done??? We found out a few days ago.

It's time to "take back" our community.

Maybe that's not entirely correct.

Maybe it's time to "take" our community from the thugs.

Let the press "question local authorities". Put their faces on CNN showing their "posture & pound their desks & make more promises which they won't fulfill". Something has to change, let it start with the politicians and trickle down.

Be damned if a vender fails to sell a t-shirt to a vacationer. I just want a safe place to take my family for dinner.

Let's be smart. Let's start with expressing that the the VI gov't give police authority to Feds who already work and live here, we don't need any more.

Once our restaurants and streets are safe, the vacationers will follow.

Take back the streets, bring back the direct flight from Denmark and prove to the Continentals that we are a law abiding Territory. The vacationers from the US will follow.

How do we 'take" our streets?

1. Give police authority to Feds. This will help to prosecute these criminals in federal vs local courts.
2. Give neighborhood watches our full support.
3. Call Crime Stoppers if you see, or even think, that a crime was committed.
4. Find out what ever happened to the red berets or whatever they were called. They were a BIG media sensation a few years back, then they just disappeared. Bring back those guys.
5. Demand that police resources be put to solving real crimes and not petty traffic checkpoints. I don't care if you are wearing a seatbelt or not, I do care if you have an unlicensed firearm. If you want the public to actually perceive that you are doing something, then move the blitzes to higher crime areas, aka housing projects or Frederiksted, and search for illegal drugs and weapons.

Let's not let this one go.

Lotta good sense here http://stcroixsource.com/content/commentary/op-ed/2009/07/27/young-men-need-be-somebody

I stand with those who feel an Anderson Cooper type response would change nothing in the VIPD or Govt. hierarchy.
Destroying tourism to make that point seems senseless. These are small communities - we know who the criminals are and the people who support them - perhaps the outrage will force the persons who care enough to pressure the Justice Dept. into action - I personally doubt Federal intervention will solve the problems at the street level but the gun and drug traffic can be shut off at the entry points.
I knew Peter in Cambridge Mass. long before we both moved here to the VI and I send my heartfelt condolences to his family and share the sorrow of his terrible loss.

The debate is what is appropriate action. Worldwide media was there after Fountain Valley. Nationwide media was around after the Jamie Cockayne murder. The politicos are still getting their fat checks. Nothing changed. Don't shoot yourselves in the foot.

I don't have a dog in this fight but it will take YEARS to get over another media campaign, if ever. It's almost 40 years since Fountain Valley & that's still lingering. This story will play for 5 minutes until Octomom gets knocked up again or Brittney Spears falls off the wagon. We'll all be in our graves before this story dies & it won't do any good. It didn't before & it won't now.

You are probably right that a negative stateside publicity flurry will damage us for decades. I still hear people talking about Fountain Valley. However, the anger I hear all around me says to hell with that, we need to close down the teenage thugs and murderers so we we can live in a safe peaceful place. I can't disagree with that. Our Senators and police have let us down. They have let local corruption and local prejudice triumph over safety and community protection. It is time for a change.

As I have said in other posts, we need to tear the government housing projects down. They are demeaning to those that live there and are a breeding ground for crime and drug use. The teenage boys who are spreading terror throughout the islands are a product of dispair and ignorance. I would like to cure their problems with love, but now, I would willingly attack them with the violence that they use with impunity.

It is time to bring in federal troops. Our local government and police has shown itself unfit to protect us from these criminals.

When I read my words, I cringe and feel bad. However it is the truth.

Exit Zero: These are small communities - we know who the criminals are and the people who support them - perhaps the outrage will force the persons who care enough to pressure the Justice Dept. into action - I personally doubt Federal intervention will solve the problems at the street level but the gun and drug traffic can be shut off at the entry points.

Who are the criminals and who supports them? Speak up.

How you gonna control "entry points". Did you know that STX is an island? Of course we need Federal intervention. Stop thinking like a law abiding citizen and think like a criminal.

We need the Feds here NOW. Not necessarily patrolling our streets, but we need police authority given to feds to get ATF back and protect those who are here, we need a full time Coast Guard patrolling our waters and most importantly, we need the US Border Patrol on St. Croix. The US Border Patrol has one function...keep the illegal aliens, drug, guns, etc. out of the US.

San Juan has the Border Patrol securing their shores. I think STT has a few agents. STX has NONE. STX needs a Border Patrol station here, searching all vessels coming to STX. They have the authority we should utilize them.

It is time to bring in federal troops. Our local government and police has shown itself unfit to protect us from these criminals.

When I read my words, I cringe and feel bad. However it is the truth.

"Urgent Fury" was the U.S.'s response to events in Grenada, and though widely condemned by other nations, Americans and Greniadans supported the effort, and the opinions of the invaders and the invaded are the only ones that matter. U.S. troops wouldn't be on foreign soil here, so there are different issues, but we desperately need help, regardless of the toe stepping such help would inevitably entail. I voted for deJongh, and would vote for him again if he would swallow the pride of Virgin Islanders collectively, and admit that the USVI needs federal troops to solve our safety problems. It seems to me a rare thing that citizens are so desperate as to be begging for assistance that would abridge their rights, but I already observe a self-imposed curfew because I'm afraid to be out after dark, and I would willingly forgo other freedoms for awhile if doing so will help make this a substantially safer place to live.

I have an earlier post here but I would just like to add this. I am amazed at how many places have no security cameras on the island. Remember last month when that house was almost robbed on the east end and they had pictures of those guys and the pictures were posted and they were identified. I understand that not all places( restaurants, bars, etc.) can afford this but you have one thing that not many places have in the states; there are places on the island that have very few roads in and out of an area, such as previously mentioned on the Northshore and on the East End. Why not have cameras mounted at these points that record vehicles traveling through the area. It might at least help identify the criminals.

And I would also like to say that I agree 100% with what Steve Des Jardins had to say!!!!

This seems to have come a long way from what actually happened Tuesday night to a strong, passionate about St. Croix and life, member of the community, Peter des Jardins. Can the whole "we know how to fix the crime situation" discussion be moved to another place? Right now, for those still in shock and not just seeing this as "another" crime, it's pretty painful to see what started as a 'personal in public' outpouring of feelings about Peter and what happened and his life turn into a debate on crime in the USVI and the world in general.

Yes, issues need to be addressed. But would you burst into a wake and make your perhaps valid points or go to a more appropriate place to do so?

Just a thought.

Explain to me why this ferver is only now this strong. Where was it last week when we had only 32 murders in the Territory this year? Why is it that THIS murder has affected this reaction and not the previous 32+? You weren't writing AC before this latest murder.

Shame on you for telling everyone by your actions and words that Peter's murder is more important than every other murder victim killed this year.

WE need to fix the problem. Get off your chair and quit typing letters to national media. Quit pissing and moaning and let's take back our islands. It's way easier to get someone else (media, Feds) to force a change. Let's get off our butts and pull together as citizens of this Territory and initiate change.

Why would someone else come here to fix our problems when we can't show that we've made a concerted effort. Until we exhaust all of our opportunities to fix the problem ourselves - don't expect someone else to do it.

The well meaning people posting on this thread who recommend letter writing, community policing, the voting booth, and similar efforts to solve our problems don't live here. Like the majority of people who ask questions on this forum about moving here, they don't believe that the USVI is nothing like the US, People who only visit here can't grasp what we are up against. Our problems won't go away even if ninety percent of our population demands safe streets, because the other ten percent will whip out their weapons and mow us down. What's more, the very people responsible for law and order can't be trusted, as they have been unable to keep us safe. Think about it: what would you do if thugs roamed your streets, and not only would law enforcement be unable to protect you, but they would take away your freedom if they caught you trying to protect yourself? We are scared, and when something bad happens we know that no help will be forthcoming, and that justice won't be served. The pen may be mightier than the AK-47, but do you want your loved ones to run that experiment?

But would you burst into a wake and make your perhaps valid points or go to a more appropriate place to do so?

No, I would not discuss the territory's crime problem at a wake, but this is not a wake. This is a discussion forum, where people who live in the VI and people who are contemplating a move to the VI discuss matters of importance relevant to living in the VI. I think a discussion forum is an appropriate place to hold a discussion, and I think a venue where people can congregate face to face is an appropriate place for a wake.

Dntw8up, can I buy you a Cruzan & ??? next week?

Went, ate, drank, closed Pickled Greed tonight.
Peter's loss is senseless, stupid, frustrating, stupid....I can go on....
Let us all respect what Peter would have wanted....
...no harm to dem people he loved....
.....and lets work on the long-term solution.....