Blu, you're absolutely right. The VIPD needs some help and the FBI would be perfect for that, but they have not called them in...and why not???

FBI has all the resourses to help out, all it takes is a telephone call.

No disrespect here, STTRes,
The victim of this crime was a tourist, and yes it is a community issue, but still concerns those of us who visit.
Yes, crime happens everywhere. It is also wise to remind people why they must use good sense. I do believe
that you have tried to do that.
I very much support good law enforcement, and involvement in community well being. I'm not sure the VIPD serves either their residents or vistors very well in a lot of cases. For whatever reasons. But, you can be a small department with limited resources, and still garner the help and respect from those you serve. Many crimes are solved with the help of those who respect the law. And, mostly, that only happens when people feel they are respected and served by the law.
There is a lesson here for all of us, everywhere.

Dreamy, the victim was the son of a resident so not sure I would call him a tourist.

connie and Blu: There is a "due process" involved before the FBI is called in and, since the VIPD - as other PDs - is not going to inform the public of every move they make or every breath they take, why would you assume that they have not called them in or that the "due process" is not running its course. Isn't that an assumption based on hearsay? The FBI has been called in here to consult on many cases many times and when that happens it's duly reported in the local media when it becomes official.

DreamConch, I do appreciate your comments and understand what you're saying. But when you say, "I'm not sure the VIPD serves either their residents or vistors very well in a lot of cases" is your statement borne from personal experience or, again, from hearsay? Every story has two or three or four or more facets.

Frankly I could scare the living daylights out of visitors if I rattled off all the bad experiences I've had with the VIPD over the years (and although I have at times a caustic tongue, I'm no felon by any stretch of the imagination!) My tales would be so widely embellished through the gossip mill that they'd hardly resemble anything close to the truth within just a few weeks! Conversely, nobody would be remotely interested if I documented the number of GOOD experiences I have had with them and those stories would be forgotten in a heartbeat. I believe that's called "human nature."

Of course I understand that some visitors are concerned about crime, as are many visitors traveling to any unknown place. But I'll repeat what I've said before - actually, no I don't think I will, I've said all I want to say and in much more detail than I ever intended. Goodnight and cheers!

Drink some Rum and tend to that Sunburn....life will go on and I want to wear flip flops the rest of my life too...
cheers,
jp

In a way I liken this thread to the KC issue. Does it belong or doesn't it? Where on the site does it go?

Curiously, in the area where the mgmt of a reviewed establishment can rebut comments made at TA, there is this:

The same editorial guidelines apply to owner responses as to user reviews, and responses containing any of the following will not be posted:
Profanity or threats
Personal insults
Reports of violent criminal activity
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Commercial web addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers for promotional purposes
Text entirely in ALL CAPS
Hearsay
Content not relevant to tourists

Now, I've never used TA, and I have no intention to do so in the future. I would like to have some way of gauging crime in a particular vacation destination, and not just from the Consular/CIA sites.

Tho our visit to USVI in November will be by cruise ship, I am very certain we will be spending a week there at a villa sometime in the not too distant future. There is just so much to see and do that a day or two by cruise ship is not enough.

Our .02

Phil & Liz

I am glad this forum doesn't censor like TA does. Thank you for that.

On this forum you can discuss crime and things like that and instead of the TA approach of just pretending it doesn't happen this board discusses it and other members get the opportunity to give advice to concerned members (don't go to beach at night, use common sense, etc). I think being able to discuss it makes a trip to the VI safer for more people.

I agree with Parrot Head. This type of post does not stop us from traveling to STJ but rather makes one more aware. It's not a problem with tourists as long as they are sensible. I feel for the family. But it won't stop us from traveling...anywhere.

Like STTRes points out, there are always more sides to the story than just one so, to jump to any
conclusions about what transpired would only be speculation as, she rightly stated. Let's hope the VIPD will be successful finding what the real truth of this awful crime is about. I wish them all the luck doing so, St. John is their home, too. and this type of thing would be distrubing to anyone. I won't stop going to St. John either.

Peace to all.

Sounds to me like they've had enough information to bring somebody in....what a great police department.

From the family of Jamie::

Tonight, I found out that we are being forced out of the home we are staying [in] because the murderers are looking for us and our landlord fears for his property and our lives,” mother Jeanie Cockayne wrote in an open letter to the Gov. John deJongh Jr. dated July 19.

“This is not over,” Jeanie Cockayne said in the letter, published Monday in St. John Tradewinds, a local weekly. “If I have to return to the states because this is a war zone, do not think for a New York minute that this is over.”

And finally, the e-mail we were asked to pass along:

Jamie was murdered on June 19th between 12:15 - 12:30(just after midnight). Within 90 minutes and before detectives could arrive, the local police ordered that the scene be hosed off. Jamie was wearing a baseball cap. According to witnesses, the baseball cap was discarded because the police were out of evidence
bags. The local newspaper, The Tradewinds, routinely posts articles discussing law enforcement's inability
to solve any crimes. After Jamie was murdered, one witness fled the islands in fear of his/her safety --
he/she was afraid of the perpetrators and the police. After the murder, we were candidly told by others that
were victimized on the island that if you want the crime to be solved, you will have to do it yourself.

In addition, government officials have refused to provide any information to the family. After we
repeatedly requested a face to face meeting to discuss the progress of the case, local officials told us they
would meet. Ironically, they never agreed to meet until a day after the family left the island. When we
agreed to participate in a meeting telephonically, they cancelled the meeting 45 minutes after it was
supposed to begin. The meeting was supposed to begin at 9:30 am. Having not received a call by 9:45am, the
family attorney called and was told they were running late. Still not receiving a call by 10:00am, the
family attorney called again and was told they were running late. At 10:15am, they called the family
attorney and said that they were canceling the meeting without any explanation. Subsequently, we found out
that Agent Schmidt (from the FBI) did not even know about the meeting -- yet, he was supposed to be
present for the meeting.

With this background, we were faced with the unfortunate reality that the police were not going to
solve this crime and we employed a private investigator. This was done at a great expense to the
family. We received the final report along with tape recorded interviews from key witnesses on this past
Wednesday, July 25, 2007. Our original plan was to turn this report over to the local police in a
meeting. We requested a meeting and requested that the U.S. attorney's office and Agent Schmidt be
present. Candidly, it was our hope that the federal government get involved. On Thursday, our private
investigator received a telephone call from one of our key witnesses. That witness was told that his/her
story concerning a key piece of evidence must change or else. This witness lives on St. John and, quite
obviously, cannot rely on local law enforcement for protection. Our private investigators had this
witness' statement and the witness also disclosed the same information to the police. Our investigators did
not release the statement so we logically assumed that the police released the information. The information
was very specific and not information that could be spread by innuendo or rumor.

With this information concerning threatening a witness, we felt a moral obligation to change plans
and immediately turn the entire private investigation report over to federal authorities. We were already
working with Senator Specter's office in an attempt to get federal authorities involved. We sent the entire
report to Specter's office with a plea that he turn the matter over to federal authorities. Because we
fear further witness intimidation, we will not be turning the report over to local authorities. We are
confident that Senator Specter will deliver the report to the appropriate authorities.

The following is information from the report that we could release. We have agreed not to identify anyone
by name and after the threat described above, we are being very careful not to disclose any information
that could inadvertently identify a witness (thus, the he/she above).

Jamie was at the Front Yard bar which is immediately adjacent to the police station. There is a video
camera facing the police station but across the street. At the Front Yard, two locals were upset with
Jamie and accused him of kicking a girlfriend's car. We are not sure if Jamie knew what they were talking
about but Jamie was told to leave. The two locals began to follow Jamie out of the bar and broke pool
cues to use as weapons. The two locals were slowed own by a person in the bar for a second but
eventually left the bar running after Jamie. The person that attempted to slow down the two locals
immediately found a police officer in front of the police station and told that officer that there was
going to be a fight. A witness saw one of the locals pick up a two by four. Another witness simultaneously
said something like they are hurting the white boy up the street. We don't know how long it took the police
to get there but the officer eventually drove the 150 feet without lights on. One witness estimated that it
took the police five minutes to get there. The drive takes fifteen seconds if you are driving the speed
limit - 15mph.

The murder happened approximately 150 feet from the police station. The witnesses have identified the two
locals that ran after Jamie by their street name. Keep in mind that St. John has a population of a large
high school (about 5,000 )and the population is generally broken down 50/50 by locals (West Indian)
and non-locals. The perpetrators are males and relatively young. The point is that the police would
obviously know who the perpetrators are -- their options are relatively limited. Our investigators
have identified one by his given name.

By all accounts, Jamie was killed within minutes after he left the Front Yard. A witness that saw the
altercation described the perpetrator. The perpetrator, not surprisingly, fit the description of
one of the two locals that chased Jamie from the Front Yard. That perpetrator ran from Jamie to the
passenger seat of a car and left the area.

The witnesses that disclosed this information to the police have specifically stated that they are afraid
to be witnesses. One witness called the police (subsequent to the murder) to tell the police that
he/she could see a key piece of evidence involved in the murder. (We cannot disclose the specific piece of
evidence because it would reveal the witness' identity. This is the same witness that was already
threatened.) Not surprisingly, the police stated that they were too busy and could not do anything at that
time concerning the critical evidence. Apparently, they couldn't do anything later either because they
never followed up. On other occasions, the same witness called the police and no one answered.

All of the key witnesses told our investigators that they were interviewed within approximately three days
of the murder. In short, the police had the same information that we now have and have had that
information for over a month while murderers run loose on St. John.

Everyone should email any media outlet that they think might be interested in this story. We need to keep
the pressure and spotlight on local law enforcement.

Again, you are reading and listening to what they have said. Try to remember there is another story as well. I am not condoning the shooting and I do know that the investigation is continuing no matter what they assume or think.

RL

Hi Ron...i know what you mean and i understand there IS another story. Hopefully, the PD will have some statements in the near future. I couldn't imagine what it would be to lose a son that way.

I'd be inclined to take the "there are always 2 sides" stance IF the VIPD had a positive, or even neutral, reputation in these situations. History has shown us that they DO NOT solve serious crimes, like murders, when locals are suspected. For the sake of this forum, I won't list the murders we've all, here, debated over the last 2-3 years....but I would wager a bet that they are yet unsolved.

The slain son, Jamie, was on STJ with his mother, in a rental place, for the summer. If i came down for the summer and rented a place, I would not be considered a resident. I would be a visitor, albeit longer term than most. Jamie is/was the namesake and grandson of a former New Jersey Gubernatorial candidate - and is part of a fairly powerful political family. Looks like the troublemakers in the USVI may just have opened an awful mess for the territory, aside from having murdered someone. The political connection might explain the immense amount of press we are seeing here. The slogan we're seeing is 'If you are murdered in paradise, is it still paradise?" - and more calls for the boycot.

And, no, i don't expect the VIPD to broadcast every step of their investigation. But, I would expect them to do what other police forces do in these situations....make an effort to squelch fears and provide assurances (backed by some proof)that they are doing all they can and taking this seriously. We see this all the time. Murder is not new. High-profile murder is not new. But, when do police departments go silent? The VIPD is the only one I ever see doing this.

Problem is not only with the VIPD, but also with the residents not being willing to transcend the "see nothing, hear nothing, know nothing" culture in favor of what is just. That is a HUGE part of the problem. Those who are willing to act courageously and come forth as witnesses are intimidated and threatened - and not protected.

The residents also experience the corruption of the VIPD - murders of their own by the police.....unnecessary force.....abuse of power issues. But, again, who has the power to do anything about it?

And I don't accept that this is just how it is on a small island....because it isn't that way on countless other small islands. Does Tortola have this problem? Virgin Gorda?

Let's not forget that the USVI may be owned by the USA, but it is not PART of the USA. It is simply a territory with an insular government of its own - no constitution, no US voting privileges - and these problems, which are deeply rooted and have been going on as long as I can remember.

I hope this brings light to the fact that what goes on down there cannot be controlled by the US, and the rules are very, very different.

I tell my own 20 yr old son before each visit "you will not win ANY fight there....I don't care how wrong they are and how right you are...you will lose....and they have a different mentality - they will not hesitate to take you out". And I know not all of the residents are this way - most aren't. But, when your 20 yr old is going out to bars at night, he is going to run across those who think and live this way. He has already seen and heard enough to make him be very careful - and some of it involves the VIPD and their guns - in bars - while they are drinking. Bad combination!!

VIPD aside, the violent culture in the USVI really needs to be checked. Fear of the law is one thing...but just being taught the basics of tolerance and self-control - and what is right - is something else.

As far as I'm concerned you should be granted a degree in

articulate cum laude

The Commissioner of Police made a statement basically saying the same thing I did. As soon as it's online I will post it if someone does not beat me to it. Everyone here is concerned. I was assured yesterday by one of the Governor's top aides that the he is on top of it. The family has every right to be upset but I don't believe they need to be using all their political clout to discredit the USVI. Supposing in the end, he was the instigator? We can't assume anything until the crime has been solved.

RL

Heck buddy, if I had political connections and thought that I could get some quick action, I would. Why not?

Your comment as an instigator is somewhat troubling. Let's do a hypothetical here. If it was self defense I would have thought someone would have hung around. By the way, it is still illegal to knife someone a few times if they use a naughty word. Know what I mean? Or at least it is here in California.

RonUSVI,

You deserve to get knifed 7 times because you started a fight? I don't think so. This not about the fight, this about the USVI police and inept police department. Stop blaming the victim. He is dead and someone killed him. He can't defend himself.
It is the duty of the police department to find the killers.

Ron, did you really mean instigate? Or was that typo???

I agree... enough blaming the victim already. A young unarmed man was killed by a couple of COWARDS. How would you feel had that been your son and people were somehow blaming him for getting murdered? Show some respect...

If it is true that the police are not protecting their witnesses,
they need to be exposed for the frauds they are.
Instead of this outrage causing damage to the island's reputation, I would tend to believe it may instead
be a blessing in that inept or corrupt law enforcement will be replaced by those who honor the badge of
trust that they are wearing.
I have two sons in their twenties, and I would do everything in my power to see that something like this
would not go ignored.
If thugs are allowed to run the place, I don't know how decent folks would ever be safe.
It's a sad day when people can't tell the difference between the thugs and the police.
Look to the future, USVI.