Relocation Help - Please!!!

So are these just exaggerated rumors?

I believe so. Come for a PMV and see for yourself... everyone has their own threshold for this sort of thing, so you really need to come and see how you feel. I know people here who still leave their door unlocked when they're not home (and at night, when they are home), and I know people who sleep with a gun by the bed, behind locked doors.

"We've also heard that people who are new to the islands are being treated very poorly."

I've lived or worked in many countries. I have seldom been treated more kindly and with greater friendliness than here on St. Croix.

It's important to greet everyone with a "Good morning" (afternoon/night) and engage with a sense of humor. It works! 🙂

If you're stateside, who are you hearing "rumors" from about the islands?? How do you "actively" try to move somewhere for 4 years?? Why are we getting so much spam lately? Is it just one angry person? Oh well.

Been here thirteen years and never been a victim of crime...well, I guess when a bike got stolen about 5 years ago I was a victim, but I never should have left it where I did, and I got it back a few days later...definitely do a PMV and treat it as such, not like a vacation...search "PMV" and you will find a lot of info on what/where/how to do it...

sailingbuddy,

I'm sure I speak for most folks on this forum when I say I do not consider your post to be "spam," but a sincere expression of concern and request for advice. Occasionally, we will have a bad moment and use unfortunate language. Don't be discouraged.

If you are interested in sailing, there are plenty of opportunities here on St Croix.

Come on down! 🙂

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU

it would be helpful if you explained where you heard the negative reports.

I too am wondering where you are hearing the rumors from. Just curious! Which island are you going to be moving to? I can't speak for the other islands, but on St. John, I think crime is down. I've been here 11 years and do not feel any less 'safe' now than I did 11 years ago. Actually, I was in town yesterday at 4am and was pleasantly surprised to see that town is a lot more lit up than it used to be. I didn't feel unsafe or nervous at all. (I went to my office at 4am....not out partying or anything!)

This was definitely not a spam posting. We just happen to run into a few people just recently who lived on St. Thomas over the last few years and who had some issues. And I was just kind of scared after hearing what they said. I was just hoping to get some opinions from some of the wonderful people that live on the islands right now. So here's my story and why it has been a four year process for us: After over a year of planning, we sold a house and a car one and a half years ago, took a loss on both, to move to St. Thomas. We both had job offers at the hospital on St. Thomas, both of us are critical care nurses. We drove from the Midwest to Florida, dropped off our remaining car at the shipping dock, and then drove a rental to Miami. The night before we were suppose to fly out of Miami to St. Thomas we had an unfortunate family issue and had to cancel our move at that time. It was heart breaking to us. But we have never given up on making that move. It does take alot of time, effort, and money into making a move like that. So we had to start our planning all over again. I am very grateful to those of you who took the effort to answer my questions. I think we'll have to do a PMV again. Thank you so much!!! Hope to been there sometime in the next year. 🙂

Crime is quite high throughout the Caribbean and the VI are no exception. Crime is quite high here. The area you choose to call home will make a big difference in what you observe and how you feel. "Crime is everywhere", although true as a statement, makes for a rather pitiful and flawed argument. It's really a matter of degree, isn't it? So, the level of crime where you currently live also plays a role in your perceptions when you move here.

Crime is high here. Our murder rate for the year so far is about 61 for the three islands. That is probably the highest per capita than any where in the states. We have had things stolen from us about 3 times and a building robbed about 3 times car windows broken 3 times. my bf came down before me in 2003 i came down in 2004. the fact that most of these murders are perpetrated by so called gang members does not negate the fact that lives were lost. On jump up i walked by a young man who was putting his knife away, about a 6 inch blade. I heard that he was probably one of the young men that robbed someone at knive point during jump up.
with all that being said, i am really not affraid here. I dont go out late, I am usually in bed by then. If there is a jump up or some other event , we do go to town at night.
We like to go out to dinner once in awhile, we just chose place we think are safe. My bf is very very cautious, much more so than i am.

If crime is your biggest issue then I must say that St John is the safest island and with fewer people it makes it easier to get to know people. I've been here for 5 weeks now and so far I love it. I have been out at night, i.e. 3am and yes if there is going to be crime, then that's when it will happen. The thing to remember is be friendly, don't ask stupid questions from questionable people and if things seem like their going bad LEAVE. Don't make a scene, just walk away. As for the early evening hours, I walk my dog most nights to the beach and never feel unsafe. Just be sure your aware of your surroundings like you would anywhere else. Don't let crime discourage you from coming here, and if your looking to be here for a long time, Myrah Keating needs full time nurses as well. They are affiliated with RLS.

I want to thank everyone for their insight on this matter. Your input has been very helpful. Happy Holidays to everyone! And I certainly can't wait to call the islands home. 🙂

I agree with most of the other comments, so I'll add something different....

The problem is in defining what people mean by saying crime is "high", and how their/our definition of "area" has changed by moving to an island (as in "high crime area") ...and I'm not being facetious.

If you define high crime "area" as living within 3 to 5 miles of where someone was shot (and maybe killed), then yes, because the islands are relatively small you will be living in a high crime "area." Yet....in the midwest suburbs, if a murder happened in another part of the city, we could pretend that it wasn't in our community.

And it also depends on what you define as "crime." When we lived in a very nice midwestern suburbs, we were the victim of petty crimes... phone stolen at school, rock thrown at car, car stereo taken. Happened all the time but nobody defined these as "high crimes" or a "high crime area" even though it happened to just about everyone at some point.

If you define crime here by the murder rate, then it's definitely high-er. However, if you're not a male dealing drugs, then you're statistically quite safe. If you define crime by the prevalence of guns, then yes, it's a high crime area, but by that definition so is Texas. Love ya Texas!

If you define crime here by the murder rate, then it's definitely high-er.

If you define crime here by the murder rate, then the homicide rate in the VI is quite likely the high-est under a US flag - not just "high-er." Last year, the residents of New Orleans were the only folks that could say that the homicide rate in the VI was low-er per capita and that would be a real stretch. Final score: New Orleans 51.7 - VI 51

We don't have to define "crime." The FBI does that quite well by listing all of the offenses included in the annual violent crime statistics. Then, it should be a simple matter of comparing the numbers. If the VI has published crime statistics since 2004 or 2005, I can't locate them. Why aren't they published? Simple oversight? Not a chance. If the crime stats were low, tourism would would demand that they be published. They are not low.

There are quiet, relatively peaceful, rural communities all over the states. Some of the folks moving here come from from large cities - some don't. If you move down from Detroit, expect a homicide rate about 38% higher when you move here. In the last 7 years, the rural community I moved from saw 1 homicide for 3 of the preceding years and zero for the other 4 years. If you're moving from such a community, you'll have a serious adjustment to make when you get here.

"However, if you're not a male dealing drugs, then you're statistically quite safe." I respectfully disagree. Here, the wrong place can often be difficult to discern and the wrong time can be anytime day or night. Without published statistics, how can anyone be "statistically quite safe?"

If you define crime here by the murder rate, then it's definitely high-er.

If you define crime here by the murder rate, then the homicide rate in the VI is quite likely the high-est under a US flag - not just "high-er." Last year, the residents of New Orleans were the only folks that could say that the homicide rate in the VI was low-er per capita and that would be a real stretch. Final score: New Orleans 51.7 - VI 51

We don't have to define "crime." The FBI does that quite well by listing all of the offenses included in the annual violent crime statistics. Then, it should be a simple matter of comparing the numbers. If the VI has published crime statistics since 2004 or 2005, I can't locate them. Why aren't they published? Simple oversight? Not a chance. If the crime stats were low, tourism would would demand that they be published. They are not low.

There are quiet, relatively peaceful, rural communities all over the states. Some of the folks moving here come from from large cities - some don't. If you move down from Detroit, expect a homicide rate about 38% higher when you move here. In the last 7 years, the rural community I moved from saw 1 homicide for 3 of the preceding years and zero for the other 4 years. If you're moving from such a community, you'll have a serious adjustment to make when you get here.

"However, if you're not a male dealing drugs, then you're statistically quite safe." I respectfully disagree. Here, the wrong place can often be difficult to discern and the wrong time can be anytime day or night. Without published statistics, how can anyone be "statistically quite safe?"

You missed my whole point aussie. I'm not quoting stats, I'm addressing perception.

Yes, the "high" crime rate people quote and worry about here is the high(est) murder rate. But for most of us, it will always only be a stat, not a personal event in our lives. Yet we have people coming to this board wondering if they're going to be shot at in the streets.

I was also pointing out how some stateside suburbanites discount the crime they have come from (see my examples in my post) and still believe their stuff was "safe-r" in the suburbs from whence they came than it is here in this "high crime area." It was not, and is not.

Neil,

I didn't miss your point at all. I simply disagree. Perhaps "statistically quite safe" should be changed to "perceptively quite safe." Everyone here doesn't hold the same perception.

A stolen phone or car stereo doesn't equate with armed thugs holding up a restaurant and its patrons at gun point during dinner hours. That happens here all too frequently.

I was also pointing out how some stateside suburbanites discount the crime they have come from (see my examples in my post) and still believe their stuff was "safe-r" in the suburbs from whence they came than it is here in this "high crime area." It was not, and is not.

Once again I disagree. My stuff was much, much safer where I came from. The crime statistics, such as they are, demonstrate it. My experience and the experiences of all my friends - both here and there - demonstrate it as well. I am far more likely to look down the business end of a gun here than I was stateside. I am far more likely to have everything stolen here than where I was located stateside. I have been a victim of crime here 4 times in the last 2 years.

I'm not quoting stats, I'm addressing perception.

Heh, I am too lazy to look it up, but, Virgina Tech's statement about firearms on campus was along this line. Essentially it said (may still say) that they banned guns to give the perception of safety on campus.

That worked out real well, didn't it?

Aussie: Care to share the experiences?

I really dont think aussie and i are alone in the fact, while during our time here, we have been victims of crime here more than stateside.
the whole time i lived in the states ( 42 years ) i have only been a victim of crime 2 times and both were when i was a child. I lived outside of dc and never locked my doors until 1996. heck, i even asked two strange men to carry something in my house for me.
i have heard so many terrible stories about crime here and the lack of police response.
i know you were not directing your post to me, but felt i needed to respond.

People are quick to share negative experiences and hold back on the positives.
This is true for hotels, restaurants, vacations, and I'm assuming life.
A diner who has a bad experience will tell 10 people and diner who had a terrific meal will tell few, if any.
Come on down, the water's great!
Noah

Aussie: Care to share the experiences?

No, not really. So far I've been lucky and I haven't looked down the barrel of a gun. Some of my friends haven't been so lucky but they too will tell you that they've been lucky because at least no one was hurt when the restaurant they were eating at was robbed at gun point. One of my friends wasn't quite that lucky but he too will tell you that he was lucky because he, personally, wasn't shot the night Peter Des Jardin was killed at the Pickled Greek. And that's the way it goes.

Stateside, this was stuff I read about in the papers. Here, these stories are the personal experiences of my friends and the personal experiences of their friends. The size of the community is not the difference. I come from a relatively small community. The crime level is the difference.

Aussie, you once again give the perception that everyone is getting robbed down here because YOU and your friends have been. But who is to say that YOUR experience is the norm? It certainly hasn't been my experience, or that of many posters.

As has been mentioned many times in these 'crime threads', a lot depends on what you are used to, where you live, how smart you are, and whether your lifestyle leads you to be places that most people would not go at certain times. This is why I tell families not to come if they cannot afford to live in a "better" neighborhood.

Seems to be the norm to me. Are you really saying Neil that you don't know at least 5 to 10 people here (at least) that have been the victims of real crime? Even if you can afford a "better neighborhood" (which IMO doesn't really exist here) you will just double or triple your odds of getting robbed. If your answer is no, you either don't know many people or don't know them well. It's a bit insulting that you keep calling our crime rate a perception when it's the highest in the nation. I understand not wanting to talk badly about our home but if you continue to ignore it, it will not go away.

I've lived most of my adult life in major cities and have never experienced as much crime as we have or know SO many others who have also been a victim of crime in one little area.

Aussie, you once again give the perception that everyone is getting robbed down here because YOU and your friends have been. But who is to say that YOUR experience is the norm? It certainly hasn't been my experience, or that of many posters.

As has been mentioned many times in these 'crime threads', a lot depends on what you are used to, where you live, how smart you are, and whether your lifestyle leads you to be places that most people would not go at certain times. This is why I tell families not to come if they cannot afford to live in a "better" neighborhood.

I'll take responsibility for what I write if you take responsibility for what you read 😀

Yeah, I can see where you read that into my words but it certainly isn't what I stated and, of course, it isn't true. Everyone isn't being robbed at gun point every time they leave the house - far from it. Violent crime here is, however, far higher than it was is the stateside community I moved down from and that may be true for many of the folks that move here. Property crime here is right through the roof.

Your statement, "However, if you're not a male dealing drugs, then you're statistically quite safe.", gives a false perception of safety. It simply isn't true, in my opinion, and that statement is what I responded to.

"...a lot depends on what you are used to, where you live..." See my first post in this thread and you'll see that we agree on these points. Your perceptions and my perceptions may vary greatly because of where we live and the crime levels we experienced or didn't experience at home before we moved here.

"It certainly hasn't been my experience, or that of many posters." Heh heh...do you read the same threads I do on this site, other VI and crime watch sites? 😀 'Cause that's not what people are saying...