Dear Editor: Per Capita, We Have Double The Homicide Rate Of Chicago In The Virgin Islands

Dear Editor and people of the Virgin Islands,

I was appalled to hear of the spiraling death rate in Chicago — gangs, guns, innocent bystanders, and especially young black-on-black killings. Appalled and saddened that such a fine and great city could be brought so low (hometown to President Obama and the First Lady — “My Kind of Town, Chicago Is!”). But now my sadness has been replaced by astonishment! Just as a mental exercise, if you take the population of Chicago, at roughly 2.5 million and divide it by the 500 killings so far this year, you come up with 1 killing for every 5,000 people, or .2% of the population. Here in the Virgin Islands, with a population of roughly 125,000 and 50 killings so far, you come up with 1 killing for every 2,500 people, or .4% of the population. Exactly twice as many killings as are taking place in Chicago, per capita.

My son was visiting recently when the two VIPD officers were killed. He too was astonished that such a thing could happen here in America’s Paradise, especially with all the noise being made in the States about police shooting unarmed men, and then police being shot by snipers. Without cracking a smile, or really intending any negativity, I told him, “Hell, here in the VI we just cut out the middleman, and the cops shoot each other.” But it’s not funny… it’s tragic. And what’s the latest on that particular double-homicide? Is the “person of interest for stalking” (another policeman) on the street? If so, it would boggle the senses to someday find out that another murder could occur as a result. It’s bad enough that the gang-bangers are shooting each other in drive-by’s, with innocent children often appearing as “collateral damage.” But with little or no crackdowns on the known perpetrators out there (the “perps”), we are simply citizen witnesses to what can only be called the Wild Wild West Indies. Good luck and keep your head down.

Submitted by: Dabronsky