When does the violence stop?

VIPD saw the light, and Crime Stoppers is up and running again.

http://viconsortium.com/featured/vipd-and-crime-stoppers-rejoin-forces-to-combat-crime/
http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2015/09/21/vipd-crime-stoppers-resume-partnership

Its a good idea, however you cant call crime stoppers anonymously down here, your phone number will show up.

Its a good idea, however you cant call crime stoppers anonymously down here, your phone number will show up.

What, they don't have caller ID elsewhere? I thought that was part of the service they offer. To protect your identity.

Its a good idea, however you cant call crime stoppers anonymously down here, your phone number will show up.

Your call to Crime Stoppers is anonymous: http://www.crimestoppersusvi.org/howitworks.aspx

i thought the calls were re routed through another state

Sorry I don't think they are anonymous, your number shows up, as long as you have confidence in the person who receives the call you should be fine

https://m.facebook.com/pages/Crime-Stoppers-USVI/95410546407?ref=mf

It says you remain completely anonymous.

Sorry I don't think they are anonymous, your number shows up, as long as you have confidence in the person who receives the call you should be fine

Did you read the link? http://www.crimestoppersusvi.org/howitworks.aspx
When you call Crime Stoppers, you're talking to a call center in Texas, not in the USVI, and the calls are routed in a way that removes Caller ID.

I have read post after post about the violence going on on St. Croix. I have been planning for almost a year for a move to the island. the more I read the more I think maybe St. Croix isn't the right move. I come from a city that is larger than the whole island of St. Croix and we do not have near the violence that apparently is going on there. I worry about that.

Maybe I should be searching in another direction. Which is sad b/c I love St. Croix. It's so beautiful and relaxing (or was when I was there). I loved everything about it and that's why I chose St. Croix to become my new home. I want to live there but I don't want to have to worry every moment for my safety.

It's even sadder that if it's b/c of the economics that cause such chaos that it won't get any better with these sort of things happening. What company would want to set up shop there? Why would they want to bring in more cruise ships to such dangerous places? that's the real bad thing. The ppl who do these things don't realize how much they are destroying their own island. And your government needs to step up and do something. And if the police are the way yall say, they need a huge restructuring!!!

Close to 4 months in from our move and loving every minute so far.

the more I read the more I think maybe St. Croix isn't the right move. I come from a city that is larger than the whole island of St. Croix and we do not have near the violence that apparently is going on there. I worry about that.

Not that I'm saying it's a good thing, but the violence is very localized to very specific areas with a pretty small group of people. Seems like crime out side of those areas has been fairly low.

I've never felt un-safe here.

The U.S. Justice Dept gave a grant to hire 15 more officers. On VI Consortium there's an article about stings the fed has done lately.

These actions must have been planned long ago, and are now being implemented. Hopefully they'll make a difference.

the more I read the more I think maybe St. Croix isn't the right move. I come from a city that is larger than the whole island of St. Croix and we do not have near the violence that apparently is going on there. I worry about that.

Not that I'm saying it's a good thing, but the violence is very localized to very specific areas with a pretty small group of people. Seems like crime out side of those areas has been fairly low.

I've never felt un-safe here.

It's definitely the right move for me...can't wait to get back. I felt way safer on St. Croix than I do in Florida.

You are in more danger driving on any Interstate Highway in America than you'll ever be on St. Croix. If you are not a Blood or a Crip, what are you worried about? Random gunshots? More people will get killed by random drunk drivers in America this year than have been killed by random (or other) gunshots fired on St. Croix since people started counting.

There are maybe 45,000 of us peaceful Crucians living on St. Croix. There's maybe 50 or so habitual offenders making us all look bad...about one-tenth of one percent.

Nice to see the gov't trying to make some progress on improvements. I wonder how many of the new 15 will go to STX.

I have read post after post about the violence going on on St. Croix. I have been planning for almost a year for a move to the island. the more I read the more I think maybe St. Croix isn't the right move. I come from a city that is larger than the whole island of St. Croix and we do not have near the violence that apparently is going on there. I worry about that.

Maybe I should be searching in another direction. Which is sad b/c I love St. Croix. It's so beautiful and relaxing (or was when I was there). I loved everything about it and that's why I chose St. Croix to become my new home. I want to live there but I don't want to have to worry every moment for my safety.

It's even sadder that if it's b/c of the economics that cause such chaos that it won't get any better with these sort of things happening. What company would want to set up shop there? Why would they want to bring in more cruise ships to such dangerous places? that's the real bad thing. The ppl who do these things don't realize how much they are destroying their own island. And your government needs to step up and do something. And if the police are the way yall say, they need a huge restructuring!!!

If you are afraid, then you've already made up your mind not to come.

I have read post after post about the violence going on on St. Croix.

I think it's unfortunate that anyone would base a relocation decision anywhere based solely upon postings on one rather small internet forum, contributed to by only a very small percentage of the population.

Spot on, Old Tart.

How does anybody know what a poster has read? Should posters include a bibliography of their research? Every forum represents a tiny percentage of the population.

Old Tart,
I agree. My wife and I are coming down in less than 10 days now for our first PMV and I'm glad there is this forum as it has made me aware that what you see on TV and think about the Caribbean, is not going to be perfection portrayed. I'm coming down with an open mind, knowing that there are pluses and minuses and won't have that let down feeling if it's not what I had pictured in my mind. I love this forum for its vast opinions and I know based on my job that the actual facts are typically somewhere in the middle. We can't wait to visit, see the good, see the bad, meet some great people and probably some not some great people and use all of this (forum, visits, people) to guide us in determining if this is where we want to spend our later years in life. Hope this all makes sense, as I'm just waking up and still haven't had my cup of Joe. 🙂

Hope to see some of you soon.

Perception is reality. If you think the VI is terrible, great, or somewhere in between, then you're right! I've gone through all the phases, and although it appears to be a moving target, the VI changes very slowly. It's mostly our perceptions that change. The VI is what you make of it.

JahRustyFerrari

Usually I agree with you but as you know, the crime is not just gang on gang.

How about the 73 year old guy who was beaten almost to death, and carjacked, while peacefully picking almonds? THIS is the kind of crime that is so senseless and horrible, and it can and does happen here.

carjacking victim

Yea and the couple who this week were robbed and knifepoint and the woman kidnapped and raped! I mean WTF!!! Its NOT just thugs here.

I also hear people asking why we don't get cruise ships here... I'm like uuhhhhhhh read the paper!!!

I can tell you what we need in ONE WORD.... VIGILANTE. Its plain and simple. There is nothing else that will work except firing every cop and every judge and bringing in stateside ones.... and that'll never happen. These problems always have and always will be here unless something BIG happens. I think the checkpoints and home inspections are a good start but then I think.... ok they'll seize guns and drugs and the bad guys go to court...then they'll get hardly any time and be right back out and the guns will just get bought out of evidence again anyways or they'll just bring in more. Ironically I don't think the guns and the drugs are THE problem at all. Those will always exist to some degree. The problem is there is NO follow up for punishment and NO true crime decreeing being done. I think we shift the magnifying glass to our judges and our police. Stop blaming the thugs (I know it sounds ridiculous) but instead blame our VIPD and our Justice system. I don't know if this is true or not but I have heard there are places here on STX that even the cops wont go to? How is that acceptable?

Clearly the police force is inept and from what I understand too related to the bad guys. I do wonder if thats true or not. I am sorry to ask this and I don't mean to sound like a bitch but I see a lot of our police officers and they're mostly overweight or women with 2 inch painted nails and full makeup. I mean not trying to say that cops should look a certain way but I do wonder about their ability to actually chase down a suspect for example. Also are the VIPD allowed to do their grocery shopping and personal errands in uniform? Just curious. My grandpa was a TX ranger back in the day and they were like crazy strict but thats been a long time now.

Being clueless to this - what qualifications do our VIPD need in order to become cops? Do they go to the states for training?

I am also curious about our crime lab.. do we have one... do they know how to process evidence? I mean COME ON we live on a island where its very easy to pretty much know everyone. The facts are that people KNOW who's bring in guns, who's bringing in cocaine, who killing, robbing and raping. I think it would be way easier to find the perps here on an island than in the states... just based on landmass alone.

these opinions are mine and mine alone lol*

good questions to ponder. i have heard our forensics gets sent off island? true or not , not sure.

nepotism is huge and probably does create a revolving door in the justice system

i had thought they were trained on island have also heard that a lot of the people who try to be officers cant pass the test.

Angeline, I've been here 4 years and i don't regret the mover or will be ran off my island. I love it here, it's home. Just be smart, leave the flashy Rolex at home,ha ha. come down and see for yourself on a PMV. I'm not letting random douche bags (can i say that) ruin my life.
As far as crime no I haven't been a victim, but have friends help up at gunpoint. It can happen anywhere but it is magnified here because we are so small and tight knit.
I think AandA hit the nail on the head with the police force, but there are some outstanding ones as well, but sadly as with any job, it's the bone heads that stand out and the hard worker don't get noticed. i was at East End pizza the other day and an officer came in his car in his uniform with his family for pizza.

It is extremely dangerous, but the lifestyle outweighs that for some. It just depends on what you value!