Safe places to live on St. Croix

Try to find a place that gets the trade winds, having a grow is nice. An east facing house will be cooler with better breezes. I like the east end, several nice beaches, a good mix of locals and snowbirds. We have Ziggy's, the local nerve center, a yacht club, severa places to eat:drink. It is what I chose back in 84 and no regrets.

I can personally attest that no place on St Croix is a safe place to live.

Utter and complete nonsense.

If you are engaged in drug trafficking activities, gang-related activities, or gambling-related activities, no place on STX will be safe for you.

If you are a 4-year old girl, and you get lost in the woods near Grove Place (supposedly 'unsafe') for almost 24 hours (including a full night), it turns out that you're perfectly safe, and that nobody dismembers you...in fact, the community turns out in droves to try to find you.

Four year old girl can wander the woods all night with two little dogs, and be safe...grown men constantly bawl about not feeling safe.

You are known by the company you keep.

I can personally attest that no place on St Croix is a safe place to live.

Utter and complete nonsense.

If you are engaged in drug trafficking activities, gang-related activities, or gambling-related activities, no place on STX will be safe for you.

If you are a 4-year old girl, and you get lost in the woods near Grove Place (supposedly 'unsafe') for almost 24 hours (including a full night), it turns out that you're perfectly safe, and that nobody dismembers you...in fact, the community turns out in droves to try to find you.

Four year old girl can wander the woods all night with two little dogs, and be safe...grown men constantly bawl about not feeling safe.

You are known by the company you keep.

JRF, Rotor definitely knows personally of what he speaks. If you knew who rotor is real life and what he went through a few months ago I think you'd probably retract your statement.

Sean

100% right on that one stiphy

On average a four year old girl has nothing of value to steal. A person of age is a 1000X more likely to be a victim of violent crime. How is that even close to a reasonable comparison?

it is not a reasonable comparison. crime does not always have anything to do with "the company you keep"

Admittedly I am not expert on STX. On STT nieghborhood, not general, area is a factor. Really check out your nieghbors. Walk around at different times of day. Check out the lay of your house/condo. Does it look like an easy target? Honestly, I doubt anyone reading this broad is locating to the vi in hopes of becoming "gang affliated". Be safe and aware are good pointers. If a situation "feels" wrong, get out pronto. Trust your insintics. Life is cheep to many of these lowlifes. They have no problem pullling the tirgger and know that they will probally suffer no concsicequences.

I know several men, husbands of freinds and co-workers, who were killed in coldblood on STT. These guys were middled age professional college educated hardworking family men. No ties to risky behavior. All were shot and in broad daylight, in "good neghborhoods". Two were acting as good samaritants one was mistaken as witness in an upcoming murder trial. As sad and horrific as this may sound, it's not suprising. At lest once year, "a good guy" is murdered by island thugs. The murder rate in the VI is about 100x higher than the worst stateside city. We have alot guns, alot of drugs, alot of gangs, alot of poverty and very small island with a crappy law-efforcement history. Many folks like to turn a blind eye to the violence. Maybe it gives them a sence of security. Maybe some folks don't want the bad PR effecting their business. Other may have become desensitied. For some, the unbearably sad truth may just be to hard to comprehend.

I'm not trying to scare you. Just trying to be open and honest about what to expect.

also, let's not forget. Roto and Mrs Roto were lucky (and VERY SMART). Thankfully they made it through and cuprits were captured. Unfortunately, another young man did not survive in similar situation. (I believe his killers remain amongst us) My thoughts are with his mother and friends. So unspeakably sad.

Remember that life is a fragile gift.

The murder rate in the VI is about 100x higher than the worst stateside city. We have alot guns, alot of drugs, alot of gangs, alot of poverty and very small island with a crappy law-efforcement history. Many folks like to turn a blind eye to the violence. Maybe it gives them a sence of security. Maybe some folks don't want the bad PR effecting their business. Other may have become desensitied. For some, the unbearably sad truth may just be to hard to comprehend.

I'm not trying to scare you. Just trying to be open and honest about what to expect.

If your not trying to scare someone, then you're just a liar I guess? (I'm sure you are just mistaken, this probably wasn't intentional)

Flint, Michigan 64.9 murders for every 100,000 citizens

Detroit, Michigan 54.6 murders for every 100,000 citizens

New Orleans, Louisiana 53.5 murders for every 100,000 citizens

US Virgin Islands 39.2 murders per 100,000 people (All three islands, not just one city)
( http://www.policymic.com/articles/22686/america-s-10-deadliest-cities-2012)

The gun control is too tight here, you need MORE citizens armed & word to spread that there are no easy victims here.

Did you know that armed citzens are safer & more responsable than police?

Police shoot innocent people over 550% more often than armed civilians do. Civilians are there when the crime or altercation began & know who the bad guy is. Police have no clue when they finally arrive on scene & end up shooting the wrong person. Police often live on the edge, they naturally tend to shoot first and ask questions later. The Supreme Court has ruled consistently that the police are not required to protect you.

"Don't think that just because the police are trained in the use of firearms that they are less likely to kill an innocent person. A University of Chicago Study revealed that in 1993 approximately 700,000 police killed 330 innocent individuals, while approximately 250,000,000 private citizens only killed 30 innocent people. Do the math. That's a per capita rate for the police, of almost 4000 times higher than the population in general. OK, that is a little misleading. Let's just include the 80,000,000 gun owning citizens. Now the police are down to only a 1200 times higher accidental shooting rate than the gun-owning population in general.

That still sounds high. So let's look at it in a different light. According to a study by Newsweek magazine, only 2% of civilian shootings involve an innocent person being shot (not killed). The error rate for police is 11%. What this means is that you are more than 5 times more likely to be accidentally shot by a policeman than by an armed citizen. But, when you consider that citizens shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as do police every year, it means that, per capita, you are more than 11 times more likely to be accidentally shot by a policeman than by an armed citizen. That is as low as I can get that number.

The Kleck study shows that police shoot and kill around 600 criminals each year. Yet the University of Chicago study shows that police killed 330 innocent individuals in 1993. That means that for every two criminals killed by police, one innocent citizen is killed by police. Although I have the greatest respect for the police and how they must respond under pressure, I think that I would much rather trust an armed populace."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/24/1077423/-SHOOT-THE-SUSPECT-is-Growing-Police-Trend-Some-Examples-Statistics
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/25/justice/new-york-empire-state-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
http://actionamerica.org/guns/guns1.shtml

Change is the only constant in this world, we've tried it one way, the restrictions in the VI are a touch "insane" let's try it the other way, lets show these "thugs" we are NOT easy targets they can shoot in good area's at whim or rob when ever they desire.

Take back control of your own safety, obviously the VI PD doesn't have any control over it.

The VIPD shot and killed 2 bad guys and arrested one recently, at Rotorheads house. Take away" ALL" the guns and send the cowboys north. We don't need vigilantes, gun slingers and self appointed hero's. I don't want to be there when the lead starts to fly. Been there, done that , and it sucks.

The VIPD shot and killed 2 bad guys and arrested one recently, at Rotorheads house. Take away" ALL" the guns and send the cowboys north. We don't need vigilantes, gun slingers and self appointed hero's. I don't want to be there when the lead starts to fly. Been there, done that , and it sucks.

How do you take away "ALL" the guns? You can pass more laws but that only affects law-abiding citizens. Has no effect on criminals. We have been fighting the "war on drugs" since 1971, have we won yet? If drugs can be smuggled into the country what is to prevent the criminals from throwing a few automatic weapons into the crate? Heck, we can't even keep drugs out of our prisons.

I have a different take. Don't outlaw guns. Punish the use of a gun in a crime. Any crime. "Use a gun, lose your life!" Get rid of anyone using a gun in a crime. If they use a gun in a crime then execute them. Don't put them in prison for life, that costs the taxpayers money, get rid of them.

The 30 year old who was killed at my house had committed the same crime 18 months earlier, with a gun, and was out on bail. We don't seem to be able to rehabilitate criminals so get rid of them.

Well i'll chime in, though since i've been on STX all of 7 weeks I can't really say too much (might still be in the "honeymoon phase" if you want to call it that.)

Crime is an issue here just like the States. If you pick up a copy of the Avis you'll always see some sort of crime going on. There are gang problems, and there's crime concentrated in the housing projects. Is that any different from a lot of areas on the mainland? I don't really think so. Would I leave anything in my vehicle that I would really be upset about losing? Definitely not. I am now driving a wrangler so that makes it a little academic in terms of "security," but even if I didn't I still wouldn't leave anything valuable in my car. I also settled on living in a condo because I liked the security element of it (gate, etc.) but I know lots of people who live in typical houses and seem to be just fine.

Moving a little off topic, in terms of life in general, the main things I see getting under one's skin here are 1) availability of goods, 2) how obnoxious the WAPA bills are, and 3) paying a premium for the things you can buy on the island. With all of those, though, it seems to me everyone on the island is pretty much in the same boat. The other thing that's been an adjustment is the pace of things here. Rarely does anything move quickly. The internet down here isn't as fast, and sometimes the power, cell phones, etc. are spotty. You're going to have to be patient with just about everything down here, especially when it comes to mundane things like car parts, etc. etc. I can say for sure that the USPS is going to become your best friend!

I would also encourage you, if you haven't already found a place, to rent something short term and figure out your housing when you get here. My move was crazy (no PMV, never had been to STX, got a job offer out of the blue, etc.), but figuring out my bearings once I got here was definitely the right move. Once you get a lay of the land you'll be able to compare your options and make a much more informed decision. For me, I ended up finding an apartment that suits my needs reasonably well and figured out a vehicle on island (getting parts for that is a story in itself) in about a month. John (InnAtPelicanHeights) has been and continues to be a great resource for me as i've been here. He may have a short term rental available, and can help you navigate a lot of the issues when you get on island.

One last thing, since I talked about the bad parts of STX, I probably should say something about the good. Most people i've met here are extraordinarily friendly and kind to me. There are some bad apples, but all in all 99% of the people I meet are great. Life here is definitely an adjustment, but it has its rewards as well. I wasn't someone who came down here with a dream of island living. In fact, I never thought i'd move to the USVI or anywhere else like it. It was a job offer and moving forward in my career that brought me down. I don't think I fit the typical profile of someone who would be looking to move down here, but all in all I like it pretty well. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

The courts here have revolving doors. Repeat criminals are allowed out on minimal bail all of the time. Why would a judge release someone charged with a violent gun crime, especially a repeat offender? At least make the bail very very very high.

We need penalties for the judges. If a judge lets someone out on bail and the criminal commits another crime then the judge should be punished for not doing his job. It should be a serious punishment, maybe let the judge serve part of the sentence.

I am quite sure that if the criminals who held us at gun point for several hours while burglarizing us had not been killed they would be out on bail today. That is what the police officers thought.

Catch and Release courts in the VI.

Up North they have buy back programs for guns no questions asked. Also probable cause shake downs in homes of known criminals, rewards for people that turn in holders of illegal guns. Not easy but can be done over the long run. I don't think it's necessary for an armed militia in the islands.

If they use a gun in a crime then execute them. Don't put them in prison for life, that costs the taxpayers money, get rid of them.

Death penalty vs. LWOPPed (life without the possibility of parole) eh? Unfortunately it costs more to put someone to death (appeals, etc) than to stick them in a jail for life.

If they use a gun in a crime then execute them. Don't put them in prison for life, that costs the taxpayers money, get rid of them.

Death penalty vs. LWOPPed (life without the possibility of parole) eh? Unfortunately it costs more to put someone to death (appeals, etc) than to stick them in a jail for life.

I agree with Roto, just get rid of them, I think it would be more cost effective to not house and feed them here. Also sends a message that this will NOT BE TOLERATED.

.22 cal round behind the ear... 17¢
One appeal. That's it, one. Still guilty 17¢
It really isn't anywhere near as expensive as paying 60+K a year to keep them on death row for twenty or more years. Not to
Mention we are running out if jails to house them. In a hundred years at this rate half the population will be locked up, one quarter will be employed to guard feed and administer. Stop locking up for low level offences. And execute murderers, rapists and molesters.

Totally agree with Rotorhead! Any crime with a gun and death!
Only problem I see with that is that it would make them not want to leave witnesses to any crime with a gun.
I believe a armed citizen is a safer citizen.
Lowest crime rate in the world, Switzerland where one out of every tow people owns a gun.

Up North they have buy back programs for guns no questions asked. Also probable cause shake downs in homes of known criminals, rewards for people that turn in holders of illegal guns. Not easy but can be done over the long run. I don't think it's necessary for an armed militia in the islands.

Why should law abiding citizens be forced to give up their guns. Don't forget the second amendment. Why not punish people who use guns to commit crimes, really punish them. I don't care if your parents beat you or your daddy ran away when you were a child, if you use a gun to commit a crime then you get wacked. Why is it that many people would rather take away the rights of law abiding citizens instead of punishing criminals.

How can you justify taking away a law abiding citizen's guns because 53,000 people die each year from second-hand smoke exposure and >450,000 die each year from smoking and we can't even make tobacco illegal. And there is no amendment protecting your right to smoke. Why don't we take care of the big killer first and take care of the gun problems by punishing the criminals not the law abiding citizens.

Too bad we don't have someplace like Botany Bay where we can send criminals. Maybe Afghanistan or the tribal region of Pakistan.

In full agreement Rotorhead! We are a catch and release jurisdiction.

I am tired of reading in the paper that some scum bag was released by some liberal judge and then perpetrates another crime!
What kind of legal system are were running here?

I recommend that we alter our system to mimic Singapore's, which happens to be one of the safest and cleanest countries in the world.
Why, because they have strict laws that cover just about any scum bag action.

We would basically eliminate our crime problem if we adopted some of their laws and penalties. It would no doubt piss off a bunch of people but so be it. The rest of us and our families could live life in a much better environment and be SAFE!

For instance, Singapore has the second highest per-capita execution rate in the world estimated by the United Nations to be 1.383 executions annually per hundred thousand of population during that period. That would take care of the gun problem here. I love this part.......each execution in Singapore is carried out by hanging in Changi Prison at dawn on Friday. Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Anyone care to surmise WHY!

Singapore has strict laws and penalties against a variety of actions or activities including jaywalking, littering, spitting, smoking in public places, and the importation or sale of chewing gum. We could use a few littering laws that are enforced.

Vandalism offences carry a mandatory sentence of corporal punishment (rattan cane). Shoplifting is considered a serious offence. Lesser offences, such as “outrages of modesty” (inappropriate behaviour by men toward women) carry a sentence of corporal punishment.

(tu)

Good morning all!
I Noticed the OP has not chimed in since the day after he started the thread. I hope he wasn't scared off. But I also just re-read his last post,

" I was originally hoping there was just one really bad part of the island you should avoid, but I am getting a picture how it is."

Is this what a lot of folks looking to move to the VI seem to think or hope? That just one corner of the island will have the majority of the crime?
Not that it isn't nice to think it would be that way. People I have told about our future move either say we are crazy because of the crime. Or are oblivious that there is major crime. You know the type, the ones who think everyone is drinking rum punch on the beach all day.

occasionally there is a gun buy back program

Up North they have buy back programs for guns no questions asked. Also probable cause shake downs in homes of known criminals, rewards for people that turn in holders of illegal guns. Not easy but can be done over the long run. I don't think it's necessary for an armed militia in the islands.

What a Joke those gun buy backs are!
I was involved with one when with a department in California.
Most of the people that turn in guns use the money for more dope.
I personally had my hands on a bunch of gun that where turned in and not one was operational.
The guns they turn in are JUNK and the political structure of PD's use to show how successful the programs are, NOT!

CD

I am visiting in states right now! I have several guns stored here and would love to bring at least my .22 hand gun back with me, but, hesitate as I understand you have to first turn it in to the police. I have a carry permit here in Arkansas and shoot quite well. I will probably wait til this summer when I can dedicate more time to the hassle of bringing it to STX!

What a shame the VI makes it so hard for me to exercise my 2nd amendment right, while the criminals can easily and do have many guns in the territory! I am a very responsible elder citizen and would love to have more security than just the bars on my house and and elderly deaf dog!

When you take away guns from responsible citizens, then, only crimals have guns! Drug laws haven't kept people from having drugs and gun bans will only take guns away from law abiding citizens!