Gittens ‘Sickened’ By Violent Crimes; Calls For Cease Fire And Aggressive Policing

ST. CROIX — Senator Kenneth Gittens on Tuesday said that he was sickened by the news of yet another reckless shooting in the Frederiksted area Monday night that left two individuals seriously injured.

The shooting incident, according to Mr. Gittens, rocked the island and particularly the Frederiksted area and came during a time when he is among the delegation from the territory at the 2016 Seatrade Cruise Global, with plans on trying to lure new cruise ships and other tourism traffic to the territory and particularly St. Croix.

“It is really a sad day when such lawlessness becomes so common in our community,” Mr. Gittens said. “We are seeing an increase in very bold acts of violence and most are connected to retaliatory circumstances. These acts are counterproductive to the work that our everyday citizens and government officials are doing to improve the quality of life on our islands for residents and visitors alike.”

Comparing our territory to a gem with layers of beauty, Mr. Gittens said he is hopeful that the lawlessness does not deter investors or even airlines and cruise ships interested in the islands.

“We are sitting on a gold mine of rich culture, history and natural beauty on our islands. It is unfortunate, however, that just as we are here at Seatrade trying to develop a more appealing tourism product and learning of ways to stand out from other destinations as a must-see market, there is a small amount of people destroying the very fiber of our community,” Mr. Gittens, a two-term Democrat, said.

He called on the thugs to stop taking the cowardly way out by settling disputes in a hail of unsuspecting gunfire that sometimes also leaves innocent individuals injured or fatally wounded.

“Walking around shooting people does not make you a bad man, all it does is help to tear down our community,” he said. “I challenge them to put down the guns and take the high road. I am also once again calling on the Virgin Islands Police Department’s top brass to regroup and reinstitute the aggressive, proactive crime-fighting approach that we saw on our streets a few months ago. It is time for us to start policing and let these thugs know they are not in control.”

Feature Image: Ambulances exit a crime scene at the Good Hope Condos where two victims were shot multiple times, leaving them badly injured on Monday night.

Image Credit: VIC.