You can go to http://www.packing.org/state/us_virgin_islands/ for more information.

My personal conclusion as a CCW holder and frequent visitor to STJ (and after having done quite a bit of research on the topic over the past several years) is that you'd better plan on leaving your pistol at home. Despite whatever reciprocity may be on the books, the local law enforcement simply doesn't want you to carry under any circumstance, and you risk anything from confiscation of your weapon to a vacation-ruining incarceration if you attempt to carry in the USVI.

Just use the usual common sense travel precautions and you'll be fine.

Thank you so much for the info. Will leave the weapon at home. I have never had need for one when on vacation, except once and it was in the "States". Thanks again, we are soooooo ready to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never visited a place I felt I needed to carry more. I carried the entire week I was down there.

MattB- I find your comment curious. I have traveled all over the US and the Caribbean. There have been many places that I have visited that I felt the need to carry (although I would never carry on vacation, just not my idea of relaxing) but the VI's are not somewhere I ever felt that way.

I lived on STJ for 5 years. I did not spend anytime alone on STT at night but then again I would never do that in a city in the states. Jamaica at night was truly scary and I would not want to be alone at night in some small Mexican towns even if I was carrying.

In my opinion, your comment is overkill. The VI's are as safe as using common sense.

Matt B: Why on earth did you feel that way?

Any crime happening to tourists is mostly due to a tourist looking for drugs or stumbling around drunk at 2 a.m. looking for a fight. In other words, if you have and use common sense (like you would in the states or anywhere) you will be fine. The rarity of crime happening to a tourist usually involves them leaving all their cash, credit cards, i.d., and jewelry on a beach chair with a neon sign saying, "I will be swimming in the ocean with my back to the beach - please help yourself." They will be the ones at the police station saying, "I only turned my back for a second..."

Seriously, leave the jewelry in a safe in your hotel room or villa. Carry only what you need in the rare case that you loose it or get it stolen. I personally leave my wedding rings in a safe place. I have some friends on island who make a living off of their underwater metal detector retrieving wedding rings and other jewelry. I swear my fingers shrink in the ocean and my wedding rings get very loose. I have their card if anyone needs it... Happy vacationing and no worries me son.

Teresa

I carried down there because in preparation for my trip I signed up for the daily news updates. After reading the news for a month or two there was no way I was going without it. It's an insurance policy for me. While I was down there I saw a fight between a local peddler and a tourist for refusing to buy an umbrella for his wife. I also saw a man get mugged at the ATM in red hook (the one across the street from subway). I'm not saying people should avoid the vi because of crime, I'm just saying I was more comfortable being armed.

and I swear these people who jump on anyone who mentions the word "crime" in a message must be working for the tourism board or something.

"Any crime happening to tourists is mostly due to a tourist looking for drugs or stumbling around drunk at 2 a.m. looking for a fight".. teresa has either never been to the vi, or simply has no idea what she is talking about. I find it offensive to suggest that any victim of a crime in the vi is either a drunk or a druggie. What an ignorant thing to say. I am floored.

MattB: Just as well you didn't have cause to use your firearm. As poster Regan rightly pointed out, you more than likely would have ended your vacation in the clink if local law enforcement got involved with you for any reason - and that would have been VERY uncomfortable.

Might as well bend over and be a victim?

Dude you are one brave dude carrying a concealed weapon on St John. Not sure when you did this but may be a bit more difficult now with the security screeners on the dock. The polleese sure don't like competition.

Just got a weird mental picture of you in swimming trunks, tank top with a big lump in your waist. An ankle holster and cargo shorts look kind of weird too.

So you really did carry?

And no I'm not discussing crime.

Promo,
You are one brave dude!
E.L.

Can we end this post? It's scary. And I don't want to go on vaca where people are worried they have to carry. Sheez.

Brave how Eagle? You mean MattB might send some live fire my way?

Uh, yea...now we have to be afraid of tourists that are packin'. I don't want to think about that! No need to carry.

LOL. ROFL. I actually know very well of what I speak. The only seriousness I give to your insulting post is that it is scary to think of vacationers packing guns. I actually was a victim of crime on St. Thomas. If I had a gun, knew how to use it, and shot the person who robbed me. I am almost 99% sure I would have been shot and killed by him or his friends. I had no gun, no confrontation and he got away with $80. I know why and how I was robbed. It was my mistake and I lacked some common sense at the time.

I do want to make very clear that not all crime on St. Thomas is because of drugs or late night drunkenness. I said that MOST of the crime to vacationers is due to those two things. The remaining crime is due to lack of common sense or just plain dumb luck. I will also mention that I was robbed in a suburb of Kansas City, MO on a Tuesday evening - not drunk and not stupid - just wasn't as aware. I am not G.I. Jane, I could not have shot and killed all three men. In that instance I would not have gotten out alive either.

I wouldn't advise anyone to carry a gun in Missouri nor the VI. Wherever you vacation, use common sense and prevent crime rather than rely on a gun to solve it. I do not work for the tourism in the VI nor really care too much about it. I only care about people being happy and just trying to help. I felt this thread was going downhill fast and tried to make light of the situation. I didn't intend to make anyone angry about it. I do feel that MattB's orginal thread had no explanation of his message and shouldn't have been posted. The message board is supposed to be helpful not just to throw out random cheap shots with no explanation. Same with Patrick's response. No advise nor help given. Just a cheap shot.

I also have a response to MattB's take on the daily news in the VI. You can turn on the news in any city or town in the U.S. and get daily incidents of crime that could scare you away from visiting. The city I live in has high crime. So I don't go jogging at night with headphones on near a lake and a million other things I don't do to make myself a victim. I don't live in fear and have to carry a gun to feel better about life. It is a mentality I don't relate too at all. If you really want to do some research, you are way more likely to die within 10 miles of your home than on vacation to an island in the Caribbean. Sure I miss my $80 and am pissed that someone else has it, but I am more happy to be alive and be able to visit the islands and chat with others that are eager to visit the islands than to worry about crime.

Sorry to be so wordy, but I just hate to let people think I am just some airheaded happy-go-lucky stick my head in the sand idiot vacationer. 🙂 I think some people need to put their gun in safe place, play some nice music, and relax. Doesn't that sound good?

Teresa

This is a bunch of CRAP, Matt,
When you go ANYWHERE, there is the chance of anything happening. If you are such a big chicken, stay in your house.
....Oh, but, the electrical system might go out , and you might NEED a FIREMAN!!!
Give me a break,.........get rid of your JOHN WAYNE ATTITUDE!!!
You've been watching too many Bruce movies.
Use common sense, for crying-out-loud!!!!!!
Don't shoot yerself in the foot!!!!....Or,...someone else that has nothing to do with your DRAMA!!!

Just a note to all visitors of,....anywhere.
You are not at DISNEYLAND!!!!!

Sorry Teresa but my response was not a cheap shot. I am sick and tired of letting the bad guy go while the peaceful law abiding citizen takes the brunt of things. Sad thing is, when one takes steps to protect him/herself and family (I have 3 young kids), one is criticized and "common sense" is thrown out there. Well sometimes no matter how much common sense you have and how much precaution you take a predator will be out there to get you. No matter what time of day or night it may be nor location. One just wants to even the odds. Just because you are carrying doesn't mean you have to shoot or even pull it out. Sometimes all you have to do is show "the bulge" and the perpetrator will immediately know that the odds are not in his favor and the threat is gone.

A firearm is just another tool. Functional in the hands of one who knows how to use it. Heck, one could walk around with a knife, sword, hammer, saw or even a baseball bat. But unless you know how to use it, it is useless.

Eagle, how is this post scary?

Dreamconch, you are right. As you said: "When you go ANYWHERE, there is the chance of anything happening." All Matt is doing is evening the odds. He refuses to be a victim. Is there anything wrong with that?

I know at the rate this thread is going, someone will report it to the mods and sadly it will be censored and deleted. I have seen it happen before and it is a sad thing.