Relocating? How do you like crime and corruption?

No one should have to live your experience - especially on vacation.

And no, I don't think you did anything to bring this upon yourself. You locked your car. That should have been enough to deter petty crime. Instead, this was forced entry.

I don't care what working conditions the cops have to endure, they need to be schooled and reminded if necessary, that they are there to serve and protect. Even if they felt they wouldn't be able to retrieve your belongings they could have exhibited some empathy for your situation.

I'm sorry for your experience.

Richard N. Kurpiers

pword is right about crime in the Virgin Islands. It is getting worse and the police appear to be doing even less to help. One premise is that some police officers hope crime will eventually drive the tourists away. We , of course, know how ignorant that kind of thinking can be. I have heard, and I.m sure you have too, those kind of comments.

Tourists are also hearing from locals and frustrated business people that crime will get them eventually. I have been fortunate and have had only one auto break in, but then I spend most of my time on the east end of the island. Regardless of comments on this forum, the east end is safer. It is safer mostly because the police do little to patrol there.

How sad it is that crime is beginning to give the islands a very bad name. the name? unsafe !

What can we do to change things?

Thank you both for your kind responses.

We actually toured the East End and were amazed to see two separate security patrol officers (not police) driving the area! One was actually parked at Udall and appeared to be taking notes. He waved to us. That was very comforting. Wish they'd been there on the West End when we were getting robbed.

Good thing you stick to the East End. From what we gathered, talking to people and our own observations, the East Enders appear to be doing the right thing "taking matters into their own hands" after getting fed up with the local authorities' incompetence and apathy. That's a step in the right direction. Wish the rest of the island would follow suit but.....

Although I'm sorry for your experience, I think you are painting with an awfully broad brush.

We live on the west end, in an isolated area and have for 3 years. We have experienced no problem with crime petty or otherwise. All any of us can do is relate our experiences. Thank you for telling yours.

Pword, I find your postings very condescending towards the people of the USVI. You say:

"Oh and yes most of you will say “But crime happens everywhere.” Yes, I agree but the difference is in the real USA the police for the most part care. They actually will come out and take a report and dust for fingerprints and will even investigate your case. In STX there is so much apathy and compliancy on the part of the cops its laughable. After waiting over two hours back at our hotel for the cops to arrive and take our report we finally drove to the police station to file the report in person. We knew we’d never get our stuff back but the rental car company required a police report and we needed it for our own insurance purposes."

The police do take reports, dust fingerprints and investigate cases here. Don't make generalizations about our police force just because they did not handle your situation well. Just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean that it's always like that. I got robbed one time in a bad neighborhood on St. Croix and the police responded in five minutes and did all the things you said they don't do.

For a tourist, you seem to "know" (or think you know) a lot about us. However, it's foolhardy to go on message boards and point out problems that exist everywhere in America and the Caribbean as if in some way it's unique to the USVI. The USVI is not any more accountable for crime and corruption than other places.

All this talk about "East Enders-this" and "East Enders-that" doesn't do any good for the island either. Talk like this is the reason there is such a huge economic and social barrier between the East End and the rest of the island. Why can't this be a St. Croix issue and not an East End issue? I get really disheartened when I see the word "East End" thrown into a conversation that affects all of St. Croix.

Sorry you feel that way and I'm glad the cops were there for you because they sure weren't for us.

I only know what I experienced and what others told me about their first hand experience with the local police when they were crime victims. This is not one or two people but more than a dozen locals I talked to. They can't all be lying.

The cop who took our report even seemed surprised when when she called forensics and learned they couldn't help us. I mean this was a clear handprint on a car window that didn't belong to my husband or I. That just doesn't happen in the real USA.

The only place we saw a security patrol is the East End and that's why I brought that up. Something's going on; all you need to do is look around your island.

Hi DL,
I believe pword was being condescending to the police, not the "people of the USVI", and based on his experience, I can understand that. He said otherwise he had an excellent time. It could be that your personal experience with the police response to your robbery was the exception, and why you disagree with his frustration. Either way, his experience is not unheard of in the VI.

Also, did the East Enders, who eveidently afford themselves more security patrols, bring the crime and corruption to STX? What does this economic and social barrier you describe have to do with crime and corruption on the West side? What are the "issues" between the East End and the rest of STX? Please let me know as it may tie in with the information I received on STX Militia post.
Respectfully,

well I meet pword the day it happened at a bar, nice couple who should have been warned by Avis rent a car about what not to leave in there car. my car has been broken into twice this year. I live here on STX and crime in my opinion is getting worse ......23 break- ins in the Cane bay -Lavale area this summer that I know of, and the police do nothing even when given the persons name who was seen committing the crime. I actually witnessed an officer yelling at a local who's home was just robbed ,that they should not own nice things and should have know better. The police are doing less and less....,just this week I have seen a cop playing domino's and one fishing of the shore in uniform, and 2 sitting at a bar and drinking.... while on duty............who is kidding who......the reputation of corruption in US VI is all over the papers ...tourists read these on-line papers before they visit...... I live next door to a person that has lived here 30 years and the crime is getting worse and worse every year . Something must change soon or business will continue to be affected. tourism already is hurting from the airline scares.

I am sorry about the bad experiences with crime and with the disappointing performance by the police. Having your personal space and possessions violated is a rude shock. I am glad you had other good experiences that compensated.

There was so much rage and broad generalizations in the telling of the story, I just want to balance with my positive experience of the West End (which was, in my perspective, unfairly characterized). We have friends who relocated to Smithfield/Two Brothers area above Dorsch Beach from Philadelphia and Wisconsin about 30 years ago. In all the many years of story telling and visiting, I only recall occasional petty theft happening and, for us, each time it involved a "dumb" move of leaving an attractive knapsack unattended on a beach or similar obvious no-no. On the one occasion where we reported a stolen knapsack to the police, they were immediately responsive and gave sympathy and very practical advice... and HELPED us immediately to look in the nearby bushes and dumpsters. Over the same thirty year span of time, our Philadelphia crime experience was actually worse, including appalling responsiveness of the court system.

Yes, vigilance is necessary, but for us it is only the same level which we are accustomed to in our "good neighborhood" in Philadelphia and most places we go within the US. That includes not leaving stuff visible or valuable in our cars. There are friends and acquaintances in that West End neighborhood who leave their doors and cars unlocked at times ... not something I would do, but just illustrates that personal views of safety and crime risk are, well, very diverse. As long-term residents, I give significant credit to how they feel and their advice.

Again my sympathies, but please don't go overboard in your generalizations.
-- Joanna