-Stop the Peace, Increase the Violence?

By Ms. TLC

I am 16 and I have experienced a lifetimes worth of illegal acts, mostly gun violence. Where I live is in the heart of Smith Bay. My house could be considered an innocent bystander for the criminal acts in my neighborhood. First, there’s an exotic dancing nightclub across the street. Then there drug dealers selling on the corner that is right next to where I reside and you know once they are around, the drugees are present. I live by the main road, so there’s a lot of noise. I think violence in my neighborhood has gotten worse, but if my family didn’t grow up around this area, I could’ve seen us moving years ago.

There was only one point in time that anything happened in my house. A strange woman came knocking on our door; she was being chased, so she was scared for her life. One of the well-know drugees had attempted to sexually assault her, because she used to do drugs with him, even though she had been detoxed for a year. After that experience we became a little paranoid about what’s going on, so we increased our own security as a result. Now it is creating so many problems for me. I vowed myself to make sure I leave this island whenever I have the chance.

I strongly believe that crime rate in the Virgin Islands has increased mainly because of the corrupt police officers we have. Here are two perfect examples of these crooked cops:

First, police officer Jeffrey Browne 29 was convicted of first degree murder, attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and obstructing a police officer. How shameful is this, that a young, well-trained officer is throwing his life away, not in civilian clothes, but in the well-respected uniform of a police officer. What could have caused this man to kill when he is supposed to serve and protect? This is a big eye opener for the VI residents.

The next case involves a veteran Virgin Islands police officer; Carlton Charleswell was arrested on charges of jury tampering and on attempted bribery on investigators who were working on a case that involved his daughter. Imagine an officer that has been serving our community for long years has gone to the bad side. It might seem that he did, “what any father would do for their child,” trying to protect their child from the prosecution. I think I would have felt the same, but I’d go about if differently. I would say this was a simple matter of a father who just didn’t protect his daughter in the right way. If he wanted to protect her from the harmful things in life, then he should have first taught her right from wrong.

The police officers committed these crimes for reasons that were selfish and unthinking. They are setting a bad example on the people of the Virgin Islands, so people will grow to not trust the people who are supposed to serve and protect. How can we, “stop the violence, and increase the peace,” if the law enforcers are also committing these crimes?